Why Is Self-Care Important?
Are you running on empty? Do you start your day with the best intentions to get everyting done yet never get to the end of your list of chores? Do you feel you are giving more then you are getting? Are your relationships suffering as you feel you are on a constant roller-coaster of emotions?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions you may be in need of some self-care. Because if you don't prioritise caring for yourself above others you are likely to deplete your resources and not be able to care for otheres as best you would like to.
Lets face it we all have family, or friends or both we care for on an ongoing basis. But we also have careers to get on with places we need to be at and life is a rush split between responsibilities and wants.
How does it feel not to cope with life, when life takes over and we forget about us? Do you feel drained? What could you do? But here is the good news there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Self-Care Is Not Selfish-It Is Essential
Yes you heard me right! So may of us spend our days juggling responsibilities, caring for our loved ones, keeping on top of work and trying to make sure everything runs smoothly in our lives.
As a health and wellbeing coach I believe that self-care is not selfish but it is an essential part of our lives to be in a healthy resourcefull state. After all if you don't take care of yourself your health and wellbeing will suffer in the long run and you will lack the energy to care for your loved ones.
Over the years I have seen many women run on empty, feeling drained, overwhelmed and disconnected from themselves! Doesnt this sound rather grim? The good news is there are lots you can do to either improve your situation or to avoid getting in that unpleasant state. I know first hand I have been there before!
Would you like to create some time for yourself? If so keep reading!
Mental Wellbeing Is important
How you see yourself and how you talk to yourself are important. The first step in self-care is to be kind to yourself. It is so easy to be negative to ourself and be critical about our decisions. Here is question to ask yourself:
"How does self-care currently show up in my life?" Are you able to come up with a few examples where you practice self-care?
How about the feeling where you don't feel you are able to say no to others requests and you over commit leaving you feeling drained as a result. Do you have boundaries in place to deal with situations like these. Do you feel guilty if you think about doing things for yourself does that make you feel guilty?
The good news is we all have these feelings occasionaly. The reality is the more you practice self-care and make it part of your life the better you get at it. That is prioritising you and learning to say no without guilt.
Pillars Of Self-Care
Movement
Sleep
Nutrition
Gratitude
Movement For Self-Care
Move your body everyday. The current advice is to incorporate moderate physical movement of minimum of 150 minutes a week. Explore how you can incorporate movement into your life. Movement is important to keep the body supple and it is fantastic as a stress release tool also. Lack of movement can contribute to weight gain and disease.
Here are some suggestions; Walking, incorporating movement snack in the day, go for a jog, perhaps a yoga class or a swim at your local leisure centre.
Sleep
We all take sleep for granted. There are differences between a refreshing nights sleep and the lack of. Having a good sleep hygine is practical and ensure in most cases an even nights sleep. Here are some tips for a good nights sleep:
Your body like a rythm, go to bed and wake up at the same time. Aim for between 7-9 hours of sleep
Expose yourself to the morning sunlight. You can do this by having your morning drink outside or by the window, or go for a walk early in the morning.
Avoid blue light exposure before bed. Put your phone away 60-90 inutes before bedtime.
Sleep in a dark room
Consider journaling and writing your thoughts down on paper so you can have a restful sleep
Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks late in the day. And avoid stimulants such as sugar, and refined foods that raise your blood sugar levels before bedtime.
Nutrition
What you eat has a massive impact on your wellbeing. It is one of the main pillars of self-care in my book. Eat a blood sugar balancing diet that incorporates the colours of the rainbow to nourish your body. You are the only person that can feed you the right foods. Ensure you diet contains healthy fats as in cold water fish, extra virgin olive oil and in nuts and seeds. Eat adequate protein from plants and animal sources and ensure you choose your carbohydrates wisely. Avoid refined carbohydrates and ultra processed foods where possible.
Hydration is important make water your main drink.
Gratitude
Practice gratitude each day. Concentrate on the good things you have in your life. Find something to be grateful each morning and evening. Write it in a journal at the end of the night what you are grateful that day. Gratitude is a powerful way to rewire your brain toward positivity. You do this by concentrating on the positives intentionally things that uplift you and paying attention to things that bring you joy in your life.
A morning gratitude can be appreciating your warm bed and the love of the first sip of that warm morning drink. You could end your day writing in your gratitude journal things that made you happy that day. Did a stanger smile at you? You met with a friend for lunch or any aspect of your day that you are thankful for. Gratitude also is practiced by being appreciative towards others. If you would like to learn more about gratitude follow this link https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/
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