Self-Care Made Simple
Valuing Wellness
“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to burn brightly.” – Unknown
Undoubtedly you will have heard the words “self-care” and “wellness” and of course you understand what they mean. But do you translate this into self-care action to improve and maintain your own wellness? Here are some questions to ask yourself before reading on.
What is your mental, physical and spiritual wellness worth to you?
What is it worth to your family?
If you weren’t well in mind, in body or in your emotions, who would it affect?
Prioritising Wellness
Hands up if you put your own wellness to the bottom of your “to-do” pile!
Hands up if you secretly think of investing in self-care treatment as being slightly self-indulgent. Or even something that only people with time and money on their hands do!
I’m guessing a fair few hands are now waving. However, take a moment to reframe your thoughts and consider the impact if you weren’t well. You might not be able to fulfil your caring responsibilities or work commitments, or you could struggle to be there for a friend.
When we think of wellness in those terms, looking after yourself is looking after other people.
Self care is a necessary practice to protect and safeguard those you love. However, if you consistently deprioritise your self-care, you’re far from alone. In my coaching work and my therapeutic practice, I have listened to many people describe their concerns about self-care as being seen to be selfish. It is not.
“Self-care is not selfish. It is the foundation for serving all others.” – Heather Petherick
Gifting Wellness
So many people are comfortable with gifting a massage to a loved one but would struggle to justify booking one for themselves – even if it improved their mobility!
A haircut may give you an instant, superficial boost, but my own practice has taught me that a wellness treatment is longer-lasting and more meaningful. It rejuvenates mind, body and spirit.
Reframing wellness treatments as ‘care for all’ rather than ‘care for self’ can help – especially when you consider an acupuncture session could give you more energy to do things with your family.
When viewed from that perspective, self-care becomes a priority – not a ‘treat’ – but if getting into the habit of a wellness regime feels new for you, it’s okay to start with smaller steps.
Wellness Journey
Achieving Wellness does not have a start, middle and end. It is a journey of many steps of self-care, which take many forms with different outcomes. For example, nurturing only your physical fitness at the expense of your emotional wellbeing might not have the balanced outcome you were hoping for.
True Yogis understand the importance of being on a wellness journey from the perspective of mind, body, spirit. They understand that there is always another posture, another vinyasa, another meditation to learn. And it is the process of learning that is important, not the end result.
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” –The Bhagavad Gita
In the same way, all self-care needs to feel natural, unforced and unhurried. As singer-songwriter Viv Albertine wrote in her autobiography ‘To Throw Away Unopened’. Whilst we might have a little giggle at the in-your-face references, when you think about it, she’s absolutely right…
“…Forcing something, whether it’s a poo, a song or a relationship, never gets the best results!…” – Viv Albertine
Simple Self-Care Practices
Every journey starts with a single step, as the saying goes. So here are some simple self-care practices to start you on your wellness journey.
- Everything in moderation: Whether it’s food, alcohol or sleep, strive to find a balance between need and want. Focus on feeling full and satisfied rather than consuming excessively.
- Social Media detox: Is your social media habit serving you well? If you don’t like what you are seeing on your newsfeed or your interactions make you feel lesser in any way, give yourself permission to delete or unfollow!
- Surround yourself with positive people: Spend time with people who lift rather than deplete you.
- Go out in nature: You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to go out for a walk. If finances are an issue, stay close to home to avoid parking charges and take a flask or a packed lunch with you.
- Seek out new experiences: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. Listen to what messages you are giving yourself: is your curious mind guiding you in a new direction? My own interest in Chinese medicine completely opened my mind to a new way of thinking and a new way of life!
- Evaluate your finances: As we enter the Christmas season, the pressure to spend can be huge. Take the burden off your shoulders by planning more frugal festivities that focus on spending quality time with loved ones.
- Consistency is key: Including regular treatments such as a reflexology or acupuncture into our routines establishes self-care as a priority.
- Pay attention to what’s niggling you: Anything that causes you persistent annoyance, discomfort or anxiety requires your attention. Speak to us for more guidance, rather than letting a relatively minor niggle become a bigger presence.
Want More Information?
If you would like more information on how you can introduce a self-care routine into your life, please do contact us for a no-obligation chat!
Let Your Light Shine Brightly!
with warmth,
Kate x
