Self Care is the theme for March
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is classed as an activity that is self-initiated and deliberate. It is performed in order to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health.
Self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. It increases feelings of positivity along with confidence and self-esteem.
Proactively taking care of yourself reduces stress and enhances overall well-being.
What are the barriers to Self-Care?
How often do we say, ‘I don’t have enough money to spend on me” or “I can’t spare enough time for myself’, as women we tend to think of self-care as SELFISH!
Self-care doesn’t have to cost extra money. We also need to start incorporating self-care in our daily routines and habits so we are not looking for ‘extra time’ in our already busy days.
Self-care is not selfish. We need to give ourselves to others but to do this to the best of our ability we need to put our own oxygen mask on first!
What can you do for yourself today?
We need to think about the pillars of health and well-being.
- Nutrition
- Movement
- Rest & Recovery
- Emotional Health
How can you include these in your routine to deliberately add self-care into your lifestyle today? Some ideas are:
- Plan 3 nutritious meals for the day
- Include fresh fruit and vegetables with each meal and snack
- Take a lunch break
- Go for a walk in your lunch break or after work
- Take 5 minutes quiet time with a cuppa
- Call a friend
- Prepare for tomorrow and get to bed on time
- Try a guided meditation
Self-care doesn’t have to cost money but if you are able to invest financially in yourself you could include one or more of the following into your budget:
- A regular hair appointment
- Manicure and/or pedicures
- Beauty treatments such as a facial or eyebrows waxed
- Body waxing
- Gym membership or local exercise classes
- Plan a spa day with friends
Knowing the difference
In our fast-paced lifestyle, it is easy to think that taking time for self-care includes binge-watching a TV series on the sofa or drinking an extra glasses of wine or two in the evening. While this is lovely, occasionally, if this becomes a habit it can have negative effects on your well-being.
There is a difference between self-care and zoning out or numbing ourselves to what is going on in our lives.
Self-care should make you feel good about yourself when you wake up in the morning.
Small changes are the way forward not loading your schedule and feeling more stressed and anxious.
Look after your body with nutrition, exercise and sleep. Take care of your inner self with stress management and mindful activities. Become part of your community by nurturing friendships and family relationships, become involved in a cause or organisation that you feel passionate about, do something mindful such as volunteering locally or calling in on a neighbour.
To help you on your self-care journey this week I have included a Self-Care Plan pdf for you to download. I hope you find it useful.
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What are your long-term health goals?
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.