How to Know What Self-Care Strategies are Right for You?
The idea of caring for ourselves such as brushing our teeth, showering, eating healthy, and getting exercise, has been around for ages. Engaging in these rituals is good and far better than not doing any at all. However, self-care entails so much more and looks different for everyone.
What works for one person to rejuvenate and invigorate may leave another feeling depleted and exhausted. Say I was to tell you self-care looks like 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily. Some of you may think “Awesome, I love jogging in the park every morning!” while others may think “Ugh, that’s torture, I’ll collapse!”.
There is much discussion about the need for self-care, especially when going through difficult times in life. What is self-care exactly and why should we practice it? Self-care is just that: taking the time to focus, prioritize, and care for oneself.
You define the self-care plan that is best for you. Be compassionate and kind to yourself. Why is self-care important? Self-care allows you to build up your resiliency to help you navigate your current challenges and reduce the toll of stress on your mind and body.
Let’s do a little exercise right now. Close your eyes, and imagine yourself doing something, something that lifts your heart and your soul and makes you feel amazing. What is it you imagined yourself doing? Were you sitting at beach watching the waves crash, walking the Appalachian Trail, painting a work of art, taking a nap, eating your favorite ice cream, laughing with your loved ones?
The list can be endless but only you know what makes your heart sing. Now, think about what you would need to do to make this image a reality. It is something that can be done right now in the moment, or will it take several steps and time to accomplish? This is the big picture to work towards and it is something you can start today.
Close your eyes again, imagine yourself feeling happy and looking great! Ask yourself what I can do right now in this moment to get me to that feeling, it can be a small step or a large leap. Ask yourself, what changes do I need to make to bring me a sense of happiness with my body, spirit, and mind?
Now that you have a picture of your destination, let’s look at all the small things you can do for yourself to keep you fueled up for your life journey:
- Get the sleep you need, whatever that number may be.
- Spend some time pampering yourself each day. Ideas such as a manicure/pedicure, a comfy blanket, a soak in the tub, some time with a great book. What ever makes you feel at ease and relaxed.
- Connect with supportive people.
- Learn something /anything new: a new recipe or a new language.
- Whatever it may be that brings you healing comfort.
Take in the moment….stop….breathe….
Barbara Duchnowski, ACHt, MSW, LCSW Barbara Duchnowski is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Over the past 30 years of experience in the mental health field, Barbara has worked in various clinical, educational, community, and private practice settings as a therapist, counselor, coach, group facilitator, professional development trainer, in addition to, holding leadership roles. Through her work, Barbara recognized a pattern of trauma history in relationship to mental health and behavioral challenges encountered by children, caregivers, families, and adults. Barbara is driven by her passion to help those suffering from trauma recognize they “deserve good” in their lives and provide them with the foundations to work towards healing and living a fulfilling abundan