How to Create a Self-Care Strategy That Actually Works

Hello Wonderful, Creative You:

Today I'd like to change the way yous think about cocky-care. Chances are that when you hear "cocky-care," what comes to mind might exist a series of activities – getting enough slumber, meditation, taking vacations, exercising, etc. These are obviously of import habits. Only I would suggest that more important than what you lot do to take care of yourself, is how you lot feel and think about yourself, your needs, and your feelings.

Could you honestly say that you lot love and care for yourself as much or as well as y'all practise your best friend? Your spouse? Your kid? That'southward what I think self-care is all about. Information technology's a journey to self-respect, and cocky-honey; information technology's most being as skillful to yous as you are to anybody else.

Self-Intendance Myths:

We get some pretty mixed messages in our society about cocky-intendance. On the one hand, we give lip service to the importance of self-care, only on the other, in that location'due south a societal bias towards working also much, beingness "busy," and a negative attitude toward doing "nothing," or relaxing.  In my feel, most of the myths about cocky-care in our culture boil downwardly to these 4 behavior:

• Cocky-care is selfish.
• Cocky-intendance is expensive.
• Self-care is time consuming.
• I don't deserve self-care.

These beliefs brand committing to care for yourself hard. I want to counter these messages. Here'south some of what I desire you to know:

• It is okay to accept care of your needs and feelings. (If you don't, who will take care of you?)
• You tin take care of yourself without being "selfish" or neglecting others. (In that location is room for anybody's needs and feelings.)
• Self-care doesn't have to price money or a lot of time. (Self-care is an attitude, not a trip to the Caribbean.)

It may exist indeed be helpful for yous to create a programme or a list of self-care activities now, or at some betoken, but I'm suggesting that your first self-care practice should exist because your own needs when you make decisions in all areas of your life. Instead of overwhelming yourself with an intense set of changes, why not become curious about how to deed more similar yous love and respect yourself?

Anyone can employ fine art to de-stress. Click  here for more data on how!

Positive Cocky-Care Habits

Here's some things you might go on in mind every bit yous prefer a cocky-care attitude:

I retrieve approaching self-care in a mindful way is helpful. For example, this week I got to my yoga form a few minutes late considering I was trying to squeeze in besides many things instead of pacing myself. The teacher started us in a supported, reclined pose.  When I got myself propped into it and closed my eyes, my body immediately released and said, YES! I knew I needed to tedious down and focus on relaxing, but I was surprised at how hungry my trunk seemed for nurturing. Information technology was a wake up telephone call to start paying more than attending.

Skilful cocky-care is not almost ever getting it correct, or doing information technology "perfectly," it'southward a trial and mistake process. I get it wrong all the fourth dimension. Sometimes yous volition go information technology right, and other times not, and so like many things in life, you keep trying.

I also believe that your intentions in self-care really matter. If you get to the gym because you are agape that others will think you lot are fat, or join yoga because your friend dragged you, or never speak up to family virtually where y'all desire to proceed vacation, your "self-intendance" activities may not feed your soul in the manner you need them to.

I know it might audio corny, or stuck up, because it's not something we usually talk about, but practiced cocky-intendance is born of true self-dear. Cocky-love takes practice, and an intention to acquire to love yourself and practise proficient for yourself. Those are the most important aspects of a good self-care practice.

Your "Cocky-Intendance Resume"

When I am focusing on something, similar self-care, I discover information technology's helpful to focus on what I am already doing well. What would it be like if yous focused on the positive self-intendance you have already done? This is an thought I adjusted from Ariane de Bonvoison'due south volume, The First xxx Days. She suggests making a "change resume -" where yous list all of the changes that you take weathered successfully.  I love this thought. What if nosotros shift it slightly and utilize it to self-care instead?

What are the ways y'all have prioritized yourself or taken intendance of your needs and feelings? I've created a printable PDF sail so that you can create a "cocky-care resume." For some this might be a challenging exercise. You might demand to look at the examples for ideas, or write downwards pocket-sized things. I invite you to think that we all struggle with self-care sometimes, but we also do it well, otherwise we wouldn't be here. Dig deep and try to come up with at least 1 thing for each category.

Here'due south a sample of some things that might appear in each self-intendance category:

• Emotional / Relational:

I don't talk to Melissa and then much anymore, even though I care about her, she always makes me feel bad virtually myself.

• Physical:

I've paid and committed to a weekly yoga grade for 6 weeks.

• Spiritual

That hike I went on when I was 16 where I just sat for 30 minutes looking over the valley – I felt so connected.

• Creative

I doodled at work yesterday when I was stressed instead of checking my telephone.

• What I'd similar to focus on now:

I'd like more places where I experience I belong. I wonder if I could try a meet up? The local artists' association?

PRINTABLE Cocky-Intendance WORKSHEET. Click to download and impress:

Self-Care Resume

Make a Self-Care Statement:

Hopefully, one time you take done the Self-Intendance Resume practise, you will have some sense of your cocky-intendance strengths, and perchance also some areas for improvement. My second invitation to you is to create a "Self-Care Statement." The statement is a reminder, tailored specifically to you, about how to focus on your cocky-intendance needs.

Decorate a notecard, write your statement and hang it somewhere visible then you lot read it everyday.

Hither's mine:

If you lot'd like to practice some art journaling like the kind I testify in this post, y'all might check out my video grade on intuitive art journaling, or my e-book on how to get started in an art journal. Too, people frequently enquire where to find the tan paged journal I often use in my posts, you can find information technology here.*

How to Plough a Self-Intendance Attitude into Activeness

When you truly consider your ain needs and feelings in decision making, information technology shifts your choices.  When you melody into your feelings and your torso, some of your unmet needs will likely exist more than articulate. Sometimes part of the key in doing self-intendance is quieting the body and mind enough to actually mind to yourself. Much similar what happened to me in yoga class.

One time y'all heed to yourself, following through on meeting your needs is often the easy and enjoyable part. If making this shift in mental attitude lonely or with the back up of a friend feels overwhelming, you may want to partner with a therapist who can help you.

More Self-Intendance Ideas

This site is all about how to use art to express and explore your feelings, and de-stress. Whether or not you consider yourself an artist, art journaling is a practice that is accessible to everyone – an anything goes, write down what yous experience, paint blob the colors of your mixed emotions, putter, draw, collage, and get messy, allow loose, and have fun. When you lot're done, y'all'll likely find y'all feel a lot lighter, and clear headed. When we are little, we all know how to make fine art to express and destress, sometimes nosotros just forget that we know how. In that location are several means y'all can larn to use art for stress relief:

Bring together Creative Self-Care, our private FB group for ongoing support and ideas on ways to utilise art equally a tool for healing and self-discovery.

Take one of my Online Classes for pace by pace techniques and guidance on using art for self-intendance and learning to let get! Or, check out my east-book on how to fine art periodical.

Check out my Fine art Tutorials page, it'due south free and fun!

Observe out how to practise cocky-care in 5 minutes.

Share Your Self-Care Wisdom and Your Questions!

What do you recall is of import for a practiced self-intendance attitude? Will you share it in the comments?

Also, be certain to get your free Guide to Artistic Self-Care: This is a six day guided course with a self-assessment, cocky-intendance myths, information on creating an art studio even in the smallest spaces, inspirational fine art journaling video, and cocked self-intendance tutorials. Grab your spot at present!

*This is an affiliate link, if you lot choose to click and purchase something, yous will support the creative self-intendance piece of work at Mindful Fine art Studio with a minor committee for my referral at no added cost to you lot. Thank you!

josephunintork.blogspot.com

Source: https://mindfulartstudio.com/self-care-strategy/

Share this post