15 Self-Care Practices That Benefit You And Everyone Around You!
15 Self-Care Practices That Benefit You And Everyone Around You!
This list is all about self care. I don't think I ever knew what self care was. I always believed self-care sounded selfish! I know differently now. This learning is one of my greatest gifts that came from my own personal crisis. It's like the old oxygen mask analogy. You can't help others until your oxygen mask is on and secured first!
1. Nutrition- Reading many nutrition books and looking for all the commonalities to find a diet plan that would be manageable for a lifetime was life changing for my whole family! Although I could write a whole blog on just this, the most helpful thing to me was getting rid of white sugar, white flour and preservatives. It's not hard. Real food is key. This tamed my addiction to food, helped me lose weight, cleared up my thinking, rid me of aches and pains and boosted my confidence. Tip- I did not read one nutrition book that didn't highly recommend hot lemon water first thing every morning!
2. Exercise- For me, I found working it in all day long is the most sustainable. Taking a variety of classes helped me learn effective techniques. I have taken jazzercise, zumba, kick boxing, cross circuit, yoga and more. The yoga course was by far the most life impacting (mind, body and spirit)! I have found deep strength and "spiritual grounding" in this practice and it can be done anytime! Put exercise in practice all throughout the day! Squats, stairwell push ups or challenging the kids to a plank while the coffee brews is one example. It's also amazing how many times a day you stand there waiting for a microwave to finish! I can get 10 minutes a day of exercise while I would have been just standing around! Start your day everyday with some yoga stretches while waiting for the shower to get hot. Your day will start out on the right foot!
3. Nature- I almost can't live without sunset symphonies and nature walks. This is where I get connected! It is the stillness that floods you with answers and clarity! You can really discover your purpose in the great outdoors!
4. Proper Sleep- I continue to strive for 7-8 hours per night. It's challenging for us night owls! Without proper sleep, it's nearly impossible to be centered and stay healthy (you tend to exercise less, eat more and be unfocused).
5. Meditation- The key is to keep trying until you make it. Currently I'm loving Deva Premal musical Sanskrit downloads. Prayer has always been my foundational daily practice. It is a form of mediation in itself for me. The best part is that you have everything you need with you at all times! This is especially important for us "over processors." It teaches us to clear the mind and slow down the brain waves.
6. Sacred Space- I can't get enough of setting up ambiance in my sacred space with a candle, a string of white lights and my essential oil diffuser. It develops an environment that invites love, peace, calm and creative thinking to me. It only takes a corner in your room and a large sword to keep the kids, dogs and husbands out!
It's great self- care modeling for the family. The best part is seeing them try to create their own quiet space. The family respects my space and sometimes we all join together and everyone benefits!
7. Audible APP- I love to drive and "read". Listening to books on audible is a game changer. I've always liked to read and learn but this takes it to another level. For a minimal monthly fee, you get credits towards any books. Many books are read by the author which gives you a better sense of their intentions of the writing .Self-help books have always been my favorite category but in the light of crisis it saved my life. (I will make some recommendations in a future blog)
8. Creative Expression- The combination of nature, sacred space, meditation and good health opens up a flow of creativity. Without these practices, creativity can get blocked. You may not have even known you had creative gifts. Express yourself in whatever creative way you can! Everyone has ability. If you haven't identified it yet, start with the above practices and it will emerge.
9. Decluttering- I call it "dripping" because following a big clean out (after reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by, Marie Kondo). I started to do a little bit each day to keep my space from being taken over again. Desires for material things starts to diminish as you clear stuck energy out of your house! The process in itself starts to detach you from material things and creates a new energy in your home that allows your home to rise up and greet your new love of life and peace. The overall concept is: If it doesn't bring you joy.... real joy... get rid of it! Even your clothing items should bring you joy!
10. Honoring and Embracing Who You Really Are- This topic deserves a blog post (or book)of its own. In a nutshell, if you feel frustrated trying to fit in or do things that aren't YOU to please others, STOP! You probably aren't bringing your best self to the environment anyway and you walk away feeling empty (and feeling like something is wrong with you). Choose to be you. Monitor your time and use it to be yourself. Do the things that make you a better version of you.
11. Surround Yourself With Affirmations: I highly recommend The NOW app. It's free! Allow it to send you messages with a banner. It seems to send the perfect quote with a perfect little peaceful tone to help keep you in the present! Hanging quotes in your car, bedroom, bathroom, at work or anywhere you spend time keeps your mind focused on your goals and intentions. Switch them up often to represent what you're currently working on! Keep them fresh!
12. Gratitude: Practice some serious gratitude everyday. Don't start at the end of the day. Start when your eyes open! Be grateful for your shower and think of those women in other counties who may be walking their children for miles just to bathe in a dirty river! Gratitude and self pity can't co-exist within you.
13. Embrace Music: Create music playlists that can either match or change your emotions! Sometimes you need to honor and express how you're feeling and at other times you need to redirect yourself to a different emotion! I started this process by keeping a log in the car when I was driving. When I heard songs that reached me, I listened for the song title or artist like a hawk and wrote it down. I continue to build and grow my lists daily. I give these lists a name in iTunes.
14. Grow Yourself: Write a list of things you are curious about. Start reading, taking online mini-courses, following blogs or take a local class. Dabbling in your curiosity helps you discover passions and gifts! It's life changing.
15. Let Go Of The Reins: Embrace everyday as an unexpected gift! Develop these habits, set good intentions for yourself and just allow your path to be paved for you! Trying to control outcomes will surely leave you disappointed. Let go of specific expectations and embrace what comes your way as you put forth your best foot each day.
When you develop these practices, you will have so much more to offer others. Discover and embrace yourself lovingly. The amount you have to give others will multiply. You will be in the right cycle of life that you were meant to live: A constant giving and receiving of love.
Self Love = Giving and Receiving More Love. It's all about the flow!
Please share self-care practices that work for you in the comments below. We would all love to add strategies to our libraries! Share this post if you feel it would benefit someone!
Consider yourself hugged,
Cindy Walter
