Practicing good self care
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” – J.B. Priestly (1894-1984) English Author
There are days when I just wake up in a funk. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for it… I just wake up, and I feel down. There have also been times when there are reasons for feeling down: when relationships have ended… the death of someone close…when relationships were going through rough patches.
Good self care usually comes easily. It’s during the hard times when practicing good self care becomes of utmost importance. Some of the lists I’ve developed for my own use can also benefit others.
THE BASICS
When the blues hit, these are the very basics for good self-care:
* Eat well (and don’t eat a lot) – Feeling light feels good for most people. Eat a lot of vegetables and avoid fatty foods.
* Drink a lot of water – Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day (not soda, juice, tea, etc).
* Exercise - Walking is easy. Get off your butt, and go for a walk. 30 minutes at the very least. More if you can manage.
* Sleep well – If you can’t sleep, consider over-the counter sleep aids.
* Focus on breathing deeply – Breathing is good.
* Write things down – Writing things down helps you organize your thoughts.
* Avoid alcohol and drugs – I admit that these can be useful at times, but are generally not good self-care.
* Dress well – I know you will feel like wearing your sweatpants, but don’t. Dress up extra nice… you will receive external approval. It’s not healthy to rely on that, but it can be a good tool to use when feeling down.
THE SECOND TIER
Once you have the basics down, it’s time to focus on the second tier of good self care.
* Call friends – Talk things through. Rely on your friends. It’s what they are there for.
* Schedule a night out – Being out and about with friends is a good way to increase cheer.
* Listen to your favorite music – Sometimes a good soundtrack can be uplifting
* Focus on gratitude – Be grateful for all the things that you do have in your life. Making a list can be very helpful.
* Get fresh air – Open all the windows and let the breeze run through the house.
* Create a nice atmosphere – Lighting candles or burning incense can change an atmosphere to something more calming.
* Take yourself out on a date – Go to a movie, get your nails done, buy your favorite tea, sit by a pool, go to the beach… do something luxurious that you don’t do every day.
* Slow down – Stop trying to get everything done.
* Meditate – Sit quietly with yourself and listen.
* Motivate – Focus on making your life better for yourself. Even a small step can help.
* Take warm baths – Warm baths are soothing.
THE THIRD TIER
The third tier of self care are things which really should be done at all times, but are especially good to focus on during rough times.
* Buy yourself a set of Self Care Cards by Cheryl Richardson – Draw a card every day and focus on the message. It’s a fun way of practicing all the basics.
* Act admirably
* Clear clutter
* Get in touch with old friends
* Be honest… communicate honestly
* Do nice things for other people
* Work really hard
* Listen
* Track your moods
* Stop procrastinating
* Ask for what you want
WHEN IT’S TIME TO WALLOW
Sometimes it’s just good to wallow… grieve, mourn, ache, feel sorry for yourself. It’s very important to set a time limit for yourself when choosing to wallow. In the back of your mind, know that this is temporary and that you will come out of this. Be sure to stick to the limit you’ve set for yourself.
* Cry
* Drink alcohol
* Watch sappy movies
* Listen to the saddest songs
* Mope
Throughout your self care process, it’s most important to be patient with yourself. Notice the feelings you are having but don’t let them stay or grow. Acknowledge their presence and let them go. The important thing is to treat yourself really well.
And now I ask you, dear readers, what is your favorite way of taking care of yourself?
The self is not something that one finds. It is something that one creates. – Thomas Szasz (1920-) American Psychiatrist
*~Lighthouse~*
If I can manage it, I find that making music (playing or composing) improves my mood as much as exercise, and it usually takes less effort to motivate myself.
I really enjoyed your post! I’ve given myself a break from my self care and am embracing it again this week. I call my self care practices or rituals, things that I do each day or week to help me be the person I want to be. On some days they feel like routines that are laborious…. if that happens here’s a quote I think on:
“Nothing will sustain you more potently than the power to recognize in your humdrum routine, as perhaps it may be thought, the true poetry
of life.” — Sir William Osler (1849-1919) Canadian Physician
I like your advice on bad days. What do you think about this? When in a low, recognize it and embrace it, let yourself know its ok. Than, if you can, be curious about the low and what you can learn.
I sometimes imagine life as being an ocean. Most days you are bobbing on the water and life is good, but other days a tsunami is brewing. It’s nice to remember that I can swim deeper into myself and my self care for comfort until the storm pasts.
When it is “wallow time” for me, alcohol is a bad idea– I find it interupts my ability to feel my feelings and thus process them. Which, in the long run means they stick around longer and come out at the most inopportune moments.
For me, sometimes it is just helpful to have time pass… and alcohol can certainly help with that.
I am definitely not a proponent of drinking to solve problems… but it definitely has its place.
[...] * Write it down. Writing things down can help sort out all the emotions and provide clarity. * Practice good self care * Get space – even if you have to duck into a bathroom at a party, get to a place where you can [...]
Awesome post – chock full o’ suggestions…when i’m feeling crappy, i like to indulge in taking a long hot bath or by reading some trashy magazines
Funny movies often help too… Maybe it’s good to reach out to family as well as friends, if you’ve got a good relationship with them, and or/ a higher power, if you swing that way.
[...] What you are after is to find peace.” – LearningToForgive.com. 3. Whenever you feel upset, practice good self-care. 4. Actively work towards the goals that you decided on in step 2 and put your energy into looking [...]
[...] Practice good self care * Be really conscious of your inner critic – write down what it says and write down the rational [...]
[...] Practice good self care * Do something physical * Play music that fits your mood * Focus on the positive. Remember all the [...]
[...] Relationships. Both myself and Lexi are very busy this summer, and in order to keep this FUN and to practice good self care we will scale our posts back to every other week. So for now, you will see our posts every [...]
[...] I do pretty well for a while, and then I get overwhelmed with all the things on my list. One of the self-care cards that I’ve been drawing lately is “Priorities: Get your priorities straight. When you [...]
[...] practices good self care. [...]