What self-care looks like for me
“Self-care is not self-indulgence; it’s self-preservation.”
I’ve talked about self-care in a number of blog posts over the years, because it’s something I feel really passionate about. Self-care looks different for everyone, but essentially it’s about treating yourself the way you’d treat the people you care about (on a good day, anyway!). In other words, being your own best friend.
When we take the time to practise proper self-care, we can see improvements in our
Mental health
Physical health and
Emotional wellbeing
As well as a reduction in stress and anxiety, and improved self-esteem.
So, why is it that we often find it easier to care for others than we do for ourselves? For some of us, it can come down to our upbringing. My mother was a woman who put other people first every time, and taught me to do the same. But growing up, I saw first-hand the effect it had on her, as I watched her push herself to breaking point time and time again.
This - as well as experiencing my own mental health challenges at various points in my life - taught me the importance of looking after myself, both physically and emotionally. And pretty soon, I came to realise that my ability to cope with change is directly related to the extent to which I practise effective self-care.
For me, the fundamental elements of self-care are:
Moving my body
Nourishing myself with the right foods
Prioritising sleep
Setting appropriate boundaries and learning to say “no”
Showing self-compassion
Giving myself time to switch off when I need to.
However, we’re all different, so in order to see any real benefits, we need to make sure that our self-care practices meet our individual needs. From mindfulness to gratitude journalling, do the things that truly nourish and support you.
I’m lucky enough to have some great things happening in my life right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m not faced with some difficulties too. Between the impending launch of Untangled (which is incredibly exciting but also very full-on); running a growing leadership development and culture change business; my daughter adjusting to life at university (whilst I attempt to adjust to living alone!), and recently experiencing the reactivation of some grief around losing my mum, it’s actually proving to be a fairly challenging time.
It’s times like these - when it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves - that many of us find it hardest to do. Which is why I recently gave myself permission to take a couple of days to switch off and step back from the pressures of work. My self care practices on those days included curling up with some great books, focusing on nutrition and practising some breath work.
Prioritising self care enables us to feel more grounded, centred and at peace. There’s no quick fix: it’s an ongoing process that we need to remind ourselves to prioritise throughout our lives. But it’s 100% worth it.
