Self-care
Self-care is something very dear to my heart. In my past employment my staff would roll their eyes when I got on “the self-care bandwagon”, but I find myself there again. We all hear about self-care and know we should do it- of course we should look after ourselves, that is our responsibility. But, how many of us actually take the time to think of our own needs in the busyness of our lives?
My argument (and that of countless others) is that if you don’t look after yourself, how can you possibly take care of others, or your job, or any of your other responsibilities. You might be able to manage it for a few months or years, but in the end, if you don’t use self-care strategies, you are likely to crumble (however that may look for you). Conceptually, most people understand this however when it comes to actually implementing self-care strategies the excuses come rapidly.
If you are a parent of young children, or the carer for someone, you are probably the least likely to implement self-care strategies, yet, I think you are the group who most needs to. In order to bring your best self to the job you have, as a parent, or carer, or employee for that matter, you need to be on top of your game. It is much easier to cope with whatever your day brings, if self-care is somewhere in it.
Some of the most accessible self-care strategies for those with very little time include:-
Taking 10 minutes to be in nature- take your shoes off and walk on the grass, or on
the beach- and while you are there think of nothing but where you are. Think of what you feel under your feet, feel the breeze caress your face, appreciate the sky, whatever it is it must be relating to the moment you are in- not what happened the previous hour, or what you need to do when you go back to the world. Just take 10 minutes to be in the moment.
Physical exercise is always a good self-care strategy, as long as the activity you do is suitable for your level of fitness.
Give yourself permission to do something for yourself, whether that be going to the hairdresser or beautician, doing some shopping or window shopping (for yourself), whatever it is that you like doing.
Spend some time engaging in a hobby, something creative that allows you to rest your mind and just totally focus on what you are doing. Some of you might have pushed that hobby away for years- just consider trying it again to see if it is something you still like doing.
Dance, sing, have fun in whatever way appeals to you- that is self-care and it is necessary.
Whatever it is that you do as a self-care practice, it is important to understand, it is not indulgent, it is necessary to allow you to keep going with your responsibilities and bring your best to whatever job you have.
Mindfulness is another strategy that you can implement at any time during your day. Mindfulness is as simple as ensuring you are totally focusing on the task you are doing at any given time. If you are washing the dishes, focus on what you are doing, feel the warm water on your hands, feel your feet on the floor, focus just on the thing you are doing rather than letting your mind wander to what you are doing next, or how much you have to do- just do what you are doing. At the very least, try to bring some awareness to everything you do, rather than allowing that wandering mind to go wherever it wants. The wandering mind can add to our overwhelm by continuing to check the to-do list, or compare our life to others, or just make things seem worse than they actually are. Just focus on what is in front of you at any given time.
Self-care is our responsibility and never let anyone criticise you for taking some time to care for you. The world needs people who are fully able to share their gifts and make society a better place, in whatever way they are able to. If you prioritise self-care you will be much more able to sustain whatever it is that you do, and bring the best of yourself to the world.
Take care with SELF-CARE.
If you need assistance to develop a sustainable self-care plan, I can help. Contact Monica at Balance Wellbeing for further information.