5 WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE
Today is very common to hear that self-care is about taking a bubble bath, spending money in a new wardrobe or a weekly pedicure in your favorite salon but that’s not the whole story. What’s self-care and how we can practice it without breaking the bank?
Self-care is different from self-indulgence and selfishness. For me, taking care of yourself means taking care of your body, mind, and soul and also is the first step to self-love and requires a deep understanding of ourselves and our priorities. It also helps us to develop a healthy relationship with ourselves and improve self-esteem.
Yoga teachers and caregivers often talk about holding space for others, building a safe environment full of love and compassion. Well, an easy way to understand self-care is as a way of holding space for yourself.
Here are 5 ways to practice self-care on a daily basis:
Set healthy boundaries: it’s important to learn how to say no to activities or people that deplete you physically, emotionally or/and spiritually.
Practice authenticity: Brené Brown defines authenticity as “the daily practice of letting go who you think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” Being true to yourself, congruent with your thoughts and actions, and standing for what you believe are ways to practice authenticity in our life.
Release negative self-talk: one of the things that I love about practicing mindfulness and meditation is that helps us to be aware of our thoughts. Self-kindness starts from the inside out. Would you talk to your friends in the same way you talk to yourself? I bet not!
Stop comparing yourself with others: this is a tough one, but avoiding mindless scrolling through social media can helps a lot. Remember that in most cases social media profiles are a high curate version of people’s lives and like Theodore Roosevelt said: Comparison is the thief of joy.
Take care of your body: we only have one body and is our vehicle to experience the world, so it’s important to take care of it. Ask yourself:
Am I getting enough sleep?
Am I drinking enough water?
Am I getting enough exercise?
Is this food nourishing my body?
Be honest with yourself and take action.
Self-care is an act of kindness. When we take good care of ourselves, we are in a better place to take care of others and that’s the beauty of it.
What’s your number 1 self-care practice? Let me know in the comments.
Lots of love,
Gaby
