What Can You Do?
In this season of renewal and re-birth, I am continuing to honor my value of self-care. It has been such a challenging year for mental health; so many feelings and fears to process. We’ve all experienced a higher level of stress and a feeling of lack of control. When my anxiety starts heightening, I choose to focus on what I can do, which is take care of myself.
In addition to the spring self-care tune-up tips I offered last month, I created a short list of my current goals and the feelings I’m creating by reaching them. I wrote down a list of 5 things I'm doing to take care of myself right now and I use them as affirmations to remind myself that I am taking action to create the feelings I want to feel.
I take 3 deep breaths (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8) then I read my list 3 times and close my eyes to repeat my list as well as I can from memory. I do this at least twice a day (you can incorporate it into a breathe break). After a few sessions, it becomes easy to remember my list.
I encourage you to try it for yourself. Make your list as specific as possible and make sure you incorporate the feelings you want to generate by doing these actions. I included my list below as an example.
In order to honor my value of self-care, I meditate everyday so that I feel mindful and abundant.
In order to honor my value of self-care, I sing everyday so that I feel soulful and connected.
In order to honor my value of self-care, I run every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday so that I feel invigorated and empowered.
In order to honor my value of self-care, I stretch every morning so that I feel ease in my body and I am ready and prepared to start my day.
In order to honor my value of self-care, I do a family dance party after dinner everyday in order to feel joyful and radiant.
When we are stressed, anxious, and feeling like things are out of our control it helps to turn inward and focus on what we can do to make ourselves feel the way we want to feel.
Well wishes,
Sara