{Guest Post} Self-Care

Hello Chic Geek readers. It is Anna from Be Healthy, Be Well, Be Inspired. Lori asked me to write a guest post about self-care and stress management while she and her husband are off on vacation. I happily obliged since I absolutely love writing and being a guest blogger. Today’s topic is about self-care.

“Stressed souls need the reassuring rhythm of self-nurturing rituals.”

-Sarah Ban Breathnach

Self-care is best described as self-love. If you love yourself, you will honor your body and your well-being like a temple. Many people think self-care is selfish. How can you take care of your family, your children, your elderly parents, or your patients if you do not take care of yourself? On each airplane trip, flight attendants are required to demonstrate how to retrieve the oxygen mask. The flight attendants emphasize to put on your oxygen mask first before you help others. This analogy is similar to self-care: in order to help others, you must first help yourself.

Self-care allows you to:

· Work well

· Be happy

· Stay healthy

· Revive your enthusiasm

· Avoid burnout or illness

We live in a doing, going society. I think many people are competitive with their to-do lists. I overheard a conversation on the subway between two women. It sounded like they were two high-powered, adrenaline focused women. They were competing who was the busiest and who had the longest to-do lists. I was exhausted just hearing both of them talk. Being busy does not necessarily mean being productive. Sometimes, you do need to slow down and think for a minute why you are so busy. To me, being busy signifies you do not want to be alone with yourself and with your thoughts.

“In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.”

-Virginia Woolf

Some way to take care of yourself is to practice simple relaxation.

1.) Deep breathing

· Increases vitality

· Promotes relaxation

· Lungs expand fully

· More oxygen in and more carbon dioxide out

· Deep breathing allows oxygen to be carried to our internal organs

2.) Meditation

· Provides mental and emotional recovery

· Builds spiritual life

· Improves energy and focus

· Decreases stress, anxiety, and fatigue

· Increases love, joy, and happiness

3.) Find silence

· Spend time by yourself

· Go to the park or your backyard and be one with nature

4.) Music/sound therapy

5.) Journal

· Write down all of your emotions

· Start writing about what is bothering you

· Start a gratitude journal and write what you are thankful for everyday

6.) Build support systems

· Friends and family

· Religious groups

· Support groups

· Colleagues

· Professional associations

· Counselors, therapists

· Life coaches

7.) Use healing therapies

· Body work such as massages

· Energy work such as reiki

· Acupuncture

· Aromatherapy

· Spa treatments

8.) Seek diversions

· Walk a different route

· Walk/run outside instead of on the treadmill

· Take a walk during lunch

· Nurture your artistic side

· Seek a change of scenery

· Find comic relief

· Do something fun!

9.) Daily/weekly renewal strategies

· 7-8 hours of sleep

· 5-6 small meals

· Regular exercise

· Maintain personal relationships

· Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily

· Take recovery breaks every 90-120 minutes

10.) Sleep strategies

· Develop a bedtime routine

· Create a comfortable environment by de-cluttering your bedroom

· Eliminate all light from your bedroom (dark shades)

· Reduce noise in your bedroom

· Take the television, phone, computer out of the bedroom

· Create a serene environment (soothing colors, pillows, soft blankets)

These are just some of the ways I practice relaxation. It took me a few years to incorporate them in my life. I used to work two jobs, 80 hours a week. Slowly, I lightened up my load, quit my one job, and started enjoying life.

Are there other ways you practice simple relaxation?

Image from: Kind over Matter, originally uploaded by Lenoirr.catching up