When was the last time you did something that was an actual act of self-love, care, compassion, or kindness for yourself?
“I used to..” It is a sentence many a client has begun with before telling me about something that they no longer do, which used to make them feel good. It is no coincidence that most of my clients have, for some reason, dropped the habits which were vital for their well-being. With anxiety, stress, and depression on the increase, we all need at times to reassess what we are doing to ensure we make some time for ourselves. The chemistry we need to heal, regenerate, and recharge comes from acts of self-love and they are totally personal to you. Living a life with more acts of self-care can change your self-esteem and confidence too, life feels like it’s worth much more when tapping into more activities that bring a smile to your face.
Self-care acts are something you do that nourishes you from the inside and out, include:
Healthier eating
Swapping screen time for more quality time
Exercise
Resting and recharging
Reigniting your creative passions
Reaching out and connecting more with people you love
Getting something done that weighs heavily on your mental load
Changing inner criticism for encouragement and positive reinforcement
Spending more time with people who feel great to be around
Indulging in something that feels luxurious
Simplifying or decluttering your life
The list could go on and your acts are personal to you. sadly, clients can find it quite challenging to make time for acts of self-care for a number of reasons such as:
Feeling guilty
Don’t feel they have enough time
It’s a low priority
Anxiety
Depression
Anger issues
Self-sabotage
Feeling they don’t deserve it
Low in value
Do some of the above seem familiar to you?
Here’s why it is vital to make acts of self-care become the new normal for you:
Acts of self-care can boost your brain and body chemistry, which includes endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These are vital for your moods, feeling good, energy, focus, clarity, and how connected you feel to people around you. Human connection and your relationships are everything to us and that makes it all the more essential to prioritize and invest in every day. Without this chemistry in balance, it is easy to feel that life is a struggle, your energy feels low, motivation is hard, negative thoughts feel more intrusive, moods feel much darker and unhealthy habits can take over. I find it astonishing that this area is not talked about enough when people are suffering from mental health issues.
Action Plan!
- Make a list of self-care activities that nourish you from the inside and out.
- Have an intention to add daily, the acts of self from your list which will boost your chemistry and quality of life.
- Explore yourself or with a therapist, making time to reassess and make healthier your connections with the people around you and yourself.
The last one in my view, this is one of the ultimate acts of self-care as unhealthy relationships with others, and yourself can make life much harder than it needs to be. Life is tough enough at times as it is. If you want to be more resilient to those ups and downs, then your acts of self-care and relationships are a vital ingredient in making life easier for you.
I am in the fortunate position of watching clients’ energy, focus, quality of life, resilience, self-esteem, and confidence levels rise from acts of self-care. It is through these sessions that I am reminded every-day to make sure I am doing the same too. Writing this blog is one of my acts of self-care today, I have truly enjoyed doing it too. I wonder what you will get up to as you explore and action yours?
If you would like help with any of the above then please contact me for more information on how I could help you.
