I was chatting with a friend about how so many people do not take the time to practice a little self love and self care, women primarily. We take so much time to make sure everyone else is ok, to worry about family, to do things for others that sometimes our own care gets put on the back burner. Ok, so I get it. We all have moments in life where it is really NECESSARY to take care of others first, but it is important to practice self care and self love.
Now I must tell you that I am NOT an expert on this topic, but years ago as my children were growing up, I came to the realization that I could not take care of them very well if I was not taking care of myself so that is when I started to practice self care. Over the years I have learned just how important it is to take those moments every day. I have been blessed to meet so many wonderful people along the way. People that have come into my life that have great positive attitudes and have taught me that it is ok to take time for self care and necessary to our own well being. We only have one life to live so we should enjoy that life too.
Now the reason I say practice self care and self love is that if this is something you are not inclined to do, then it will take some practice to make it happen. AND IT IS IMPORTANT! There are so many reasons to practice self care and self love. It makes you feel good. It gives you time to spend with yourself. It allows you to interact better with others. You will feel a boost of self confidence and possibly even energy. It makes you more able to help others when you are happy.
One of my favorite quotes is: “I step back and let the universe lead the way. ” and trust in those words. Try it! Close your eyes, let your body relax a little, take a deep breath, and say those words to yourself. Then breath. In those few moments, you will find yourself feeling a bit calmer and more capable of dealing with the day. You don’t need any equipment and you can do it virtually anywhere for even just a couple minutes a few times a day. Practice it until you believe it, then practice it some more.
I know for some people this concept of self care and self love is not easy. Maybe it is from negative emotions, something from the past, low self esteem, the need to look outward at others rather than to look inwards at yourself, the feeling that everyone else is more important than you.. and I am sure the list goes on. I won’t even pretend to know all the reasons for someone to feel they are not worthy of, or have time for self care. Just know you have time. Yes really you do! When you take a few minutes to care for you, you are better able to care for others.
So in your busy life schedule, it is time to start to allow time to PRACTICE self love and self care on a regular basis. Even if it is just 15 minutes a day during the busy times and then a bit more time when you are able. Schedule your time like it is the most important medical appointment ever. After all, this is about your health too right!? Even if you do absolutely NOTHING for those few minutes a day but sit and enjoy your surroundings, close your eyes and let go of everything releasing it to the universe for just that little while and letting it take care of things for those few blissful minutes. It will help you to be more in control, more able to deal with your day.
Your mental and physical health will thank you and then the people around you will notice a change in you as you continue to practice your self care and self love. So maybe today is a great day to start to take care of you. Schedule just a few minutes of time with yourself. It will help you to change the way you think about yourself. You are an amazing person and you are so worth it.