Nurture Your Body, Mind, and Spirit Through Self-Care
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Everyone and everything has to wait. Today, I’m loving myself first! But, I must digress a bit to a few years ago.
My head was spinning. My heart was racing. I felt nauseated. I felt dizzy. I could barely sit up. I surely could not drive myself home. What was happening to me? Why did I feel so bad? What was I going to do?
The doctor at the hospital said I had an anxiety attack. This happened three times and finally, I knew I had to do something about it. After some soul-searching and promises to myself, I started looking for ways to reduce my workload at the office and to take care of myself.
Now, my mantra is self-care begins with self-love. Many people believe self-care means taking a day off and spending it at a spa. While that is definitely something you could do, self-care is truly about identifying your own needs and taking steps to take care of your needs on a daily basis.
I want to show you the path to learning to love yourself and take care of yourself. It takes discipline to regularly make time for yourself. Women, particularly, are used to taking care of everybody and everything, except ourselves.
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We all have been on an airplane when the flight attendant explains the oxygen masks that would fall in case of an emergency. The instructions are to put your own mask on first. You cannot help someone else until your own mask has been secured. Self-care is the same principle. You must take care of yourself first in order to have the energy, stamina, and health to help anyone else including your family and friends.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish; it is essential to your well-being. We need to make some time every day for ourselves even it if is a small amount. Start practicing some self-care habits that you can fit in on most days. These habits should be ongoing in order to derive lasting effects. The accumulative benefits can be enormous.
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An easy way to begin, yet quite beneficial, is with positive self-talk. Remind yourself numerous times throughout the day that you are worthy; you are loved; you are beautiful; you are amazing; you are important; you are kind. Use the words that are meaningful to you. Take some time to look in the mirror at yourself while you tell yourself these positive statements.
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Some benefits of regularly scheduled “me” time:
- Gives you a boost in confidence.
- Helps you recharge.
- Can improve your physical health.
- Helps to manage stress.
- Can make you more productive.
- Helps to keep you balanced mentally and emotionally.
- Boosts your energy levels.
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Body, Mind, and Soul are the most common areas of self-care.
I like to also include Lifestyle and Support in the mix.
Below are some simple suggestions to get you started in each of these areas of Nurturing Your Body, Mind, and Spirit through Self-Care.
Body – Take care of your physical self.
- Get enough sleep every night.
- Strive for regular exercise; even small amounts are beneficial.
- Eat healthy and nutritious meals.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Learn deep breathing techniques and practice.
- Try yoga. YouTube has many videos to guide you.
Mind – Take care of your emotional self.
- Write a few positive thoughts in a daily journal.
- Read something inspirational every day.
- Listen to your favorite music. Pay attention to the tune and lyrics.
- Get some sunlight, but don’t forget the sunscreen.
- Recite affirmations that resonate with you.
Spirit – Take care of your spiritual self.
- Spend time meditating. Start with five minutes a day.
- Write a short gratitude list daily.
- Be still and do nothing. Listen to the peace around you.
- Connect with nature.
- Lean on your faith through prayer.
Lifestyle – Take care of your social self.
- Journaling is a powerful tool for dealing with life’s challenges.
- Go for a short walk. Pay attention to things along the way.
- Soak in the tub with bath salts… my personal favorite.
- Spend time on a hobby.
- Relax in your own special way.
Support – Take care of your encouraging self.
- Seek companionship. It could be dinner or even a phone call.
- Surround yourself with like-minded friends.
- Connect with those who love you unconditionally.
- Pet a dog or cat. This is instantly calming.
- Get lots of hugs. You can even hug yourself.
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Self-care is not just a buzzword. It is a real means of taking care of yourself so you can enjoy life, be happy and healthy, and feel relaxed. Gradually start making time for a few minutes of self-care every day. Choose activities from the different groups above so you balance all areas of your life. A regularly scheduled time each day will make it easier for self-care to become a habit.
Relax. Savor the moments. Your body will thank you.
How will you start to add self-love to your schedule today?
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Here are a couple of posts you will enjoy reading –
Seeking Joy When You Feel Overwhelmed
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Thanks for joining me today for Nurture Your Spirit through Self-Care.
Hey. one more thing…
I’d love to have you join my Circle of Friends Newsletter and have joyful inspiration delivered right to your inbox once a month.
The link is below.
And… Welcome!
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This was just what I needed. Thanks so much for sharing it.
God bless you 🙏🏻💞
Thank you, my friend!
Interesting read! It’s important to consider more than on aspect when it comes to self care. Thank you!
You are so right!
This is such good and meaningful advice!! Thank you for sharing!!
Happy nurturing!
Such a powerful post, thanks for sharing!
ahhh thank you!
I love incorporating self care practices into my daily life. Thanks for a comprehensive list!q
I love that you have self-care in your everyday life.
Self-care and self-love are crucial. Everyone needs them daily. Never neglect them.
You are so correct! Words of wisdom.
Much needed post
Ahhh thank you!
Such an amazing post! Self-care is crucial to one’s overall wellbeing and shouldn’t be overlooked.
I totally agree with you.
Self care is so important. We often forget ourselves as we take care of everything else in our lives, thanks for reminding us !
You are so right!
Self-care is so crucial! We get too caught up with events in our life and react rather than respond.
You are correct, for sure!
This is interesting and I love how you started this post. Self-care is very important. Thank you for sharing!
Fransic
Amazing post! Self care is so important, Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words!
Strong reminders that we all need. Thank you for sharing.
Some really useful ideas on self care. Spiritual self is an area I need to work on more. Thanks for sharing these ideas with us.
Great tips!
I have been needing of self care these last few days
Journaling, gratitude, and positive affirmations are my go tos for mental self care. It makes all the difference in my day.
I totally agree with you!
I totally agree that me time is so necessary and there are incredible mental health benefits of incorporating this me time into our lives regularly! You’re so right that it helps us recharge! laurenbarri.com says how we are just like our phone batteries. We won’t work if we don’t allow time to recharge!
I love your comment!