Self-Care
The last few weeks,
months and years have been filled with a multitude of challenges. There have
been times when I have felt like I’m drowning under the weight of it all. In an
attempt to be there for others, I started to take my own health and well-being for
granted. I was meditating regularly which helped immensely but was neglecting
some other parts of myself. I started eating foods which I know do not agree
with me, and that triggered a series of health complaints – I was in pain and
had headaches. Do I know better? Of course! We probably all know what we should
be doing, but sometimes we choose to ignore our inner awareness.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I really did know better and engaged in my own “Self-Care Plan”. I implemented some exercise, became mindful about what I was eating, re-started my yoga practice and introduced more frequent mindful breaks in the day. Has that helped? Absolutely. But it took prioritizing myself to do that.
In our society, we
think that prioritizing self-care is selfish. That we should constantly be
giving – whether it’s to our jobs, friends, family or even Netflix! We need to
constantly remind ourselves that without taking care of our own well-being,
there will come a time when we can’t give to others. When we are so depleted
that it takes a health emergency to wake us up. Don’t wait till then. As flight
crew always tell you: Put your oxygen mask on first, because
if you run out
of oxygen, you can’t help anyone else.
When you run low, stress, fatigue, overwhelm, depressive
thoughts, anxiety and other mental health issues all become exacerbated.
Schedule time to recharge and regroup everyday.
Some suggestions include:
Mindful pauses and meditationExerciseGo for a walk in natureSchedule time for a catch up with a friendWrite in a journalThink of 3 things you are grateful for each day (more if you
can!)
What other things do you do to take care of yourself?
