I’d like to take today to talk about the importance of self care no matter what your profession is but especially when you are in a care taking job. Whether you are in the health care field, a mother, or taking care of aging parents people get depleted pretty quickly. It is difficult to keep giving and giving but a lot of people misunderstand what self care really looks like. It isn’t always a massage and a mani/pedi. Self care can be as little as just taking 15 min in the morning and reflecting on what your day will look like and remembering to acknowledge the things you can be thankful for that day. Morning journaling can go a long way in putting your mind in the mind set of getting things done and prepping for what is to come that day. Drinking your favorite warm beverage or juice while doing this can help set the mood for a wonderful day. It is just a short check in with yourself. Your feelings and your body.
Most western countries have the bad habit of hitting the ground running as soon as the alarm goes off. Believe me I make this mistake too. Especially while I was working full time. But I always tried once I got to work to make myself a cup of coffee, look over my calendar, and envision what my day will look like. What tasks I had left over from the day before and what I needed to do that day. Now as a stay at home I go over all the different tasks that I have to do to keep this family functioning.
Morning Journal is my favorite and least expensive self care technique. There are plenty of other ways.
- Exercising (especially walking and Yoga)
- Meditation (even if it is only checking in with your body for 5 min and using mindful breathing)
- Coloring or drawing (art lets the part of the brain that does not have words express itself)
- A mindful shower (where you are mindful of your body and are thankful for all it does for you)
- Mindful cleaning (Remembering to only hold on to the things that have function and you love and get rid of the rest so it does not clutter your home or your mind)
- Aroma therapy (essential oils can make a huge difference in mood and feeling)
- Mindful eating (enjoy each bite of your food and check in with how it makes your body feel)
- Chatting with a friend (make sure that this friend is a friend that helps you feel better and does not drain you of your energy)
- Gardening
- Knitting (or whatever your favorite hobby is)
