Self care is something I need to do more of and I bet you do too. If we don’t look after ourselves we become unhappy and less likely to deal with stress and other factors in our lives. We also can not look after the people in our lives that we need to.
So as a reminder for you and also myself, I thought I’d write a little blog on the importance of it and some tips to help you practice and make it part of your life.
Why Is Self-Care Important?
Self-care is crucial for maintaining a balanced and fulfilling life. It helps you:
Maintain Mental Health: Self-care reduces stress, anxiety, and burnout, promoting a positive mindset.
Improve Physical Health: Regular self-care practices like proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep contribute to overall physical well-being.
Boost Emotional Resilience: Taking time for yourself helps you process emotions and better handle life’s challenges.
Enhance Productivity: When you’re rested and recharged, you can focus better and work more efficiently.
Strengthen Relationships: By taking care of yourself, you bring your best self to your relationships, fostering stronger connections.
Cultivate Self-Worth: Prioritizing your needs reminds you that you’re valuable and deserving of care and kindness.
Five tips to Nurture Yourself
1) Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is really important for good health and helps us mentally and emotionally. When we haven’t had enough sleep, the simplest things can cause us stress. Try to aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. I know this can be easier said than done sometimes, but all you can do is try.
It may help you also to create a calming bedtime routine to signal your body it’s time to rest and to drift off to sleep easier.
2) Eat Nourishing Foods and Move Your Body
Cut out the junk food and prioritize wholefoods, fruits and vegetables. You could go to the gym or have a nice walk. Especially in Nature! Movement can boost your mood and energy. Also don’t forget to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Something I definitely need to do more of!
3) Set Boundaries:
Sometimes we just say yes to people because we don’t want to let them down or even because we care what they think. But it is important to look after yourself first and if that means you have to say no, then do so. If you are low on energy or feeling a bit stressed, doing stuff for other people will cause you more burn out and lead to more stress. So remember to say no sometimes and yes to yourself more!
4) Connect with Nature
This could be sitting in the garden/backyard, going for a walk or out to the country/woods. Just simply getting out and breathing the fresh air and to be outside can ease and calm us. You could also ground yourself to the earth and feel the connection with the Goddess. This will help you feel calm and connected.
5) Nurture Your Spirit and Practice Mindfulness
Connect with practices that uplift you, such as prayer, meditation, or connecting with nature. A few things you can do are are:
- Guided meditation.
- Take 5 minutes to sit and concentrate on your breathing and if a thought pops into your head just let it go and don’t think about it.
- Try to be mindful throughout the day, if say you feel angry notice this, take a moment to feel the anger, where does it come from? Breathe and release it.
- Work with rituals or spiritual tools if that’s something that resonates with you.
- Journal, which can help you process thoughts and emotions.
Now you have some tips, try to implement them slowly into your every day life. Maybe make a plan and schedule in your calendar to dedicate an hour or day to do one of the above, such as Wednesday go to a park and take a walk in the forest or set an hour to plan what you could do for a calming bedtime routine then start to do it. When you write it down and plan it in your diary to do , you are more likely to do it.
I know I will try and do more of the above myself and I think I’ll start with a nice walk in nature!
Look after yourself.
Love & Light
Charleen x
