Self-care as a Superpower!

Self-care is essential.

Self-care helps us feel nourished, taken care of and keeps us connected to ourselves and what is most important to us.

It is easy to feel lost, out of balance and unmotivated amongst all the uncertainty.

We can find steadiness and ease during this time through focusing on self-care techniques to provide an anchor to hold on to.

Self-care helps us find balance, inspiration and steadiness. It can provide structure to our day, helping us feel more grounded, in control and purposeful.

Self-care involves routines that we do DAILY to nourish and support ourselves. In this way, we build and retain our life force energy to create strength and resiliency.

Our bodies and minds THRIVE on routine. It is through daily routines that we regulate the environment within us and around us to help us meet our needs, provide balance, stability and support.

Routines restore balance to the natural rhythms of the body and mind. In this way we can decrease feelings of anxiety, overwhelm and lethargy and increase feelings of positivity, ease, calm, and happiness.

We learn to support and regulate our nervous system, moving us out of the “fight or flight”response and into the “rest and digest” or relaxation response. From this place, we can make positive choices that acknowledge how we are feeling and help us meet our needs.

Through daily practices we learn to trust our inner guidance, become more self-reliant, and resilient to handle the changes that life brings.

10 Self-Care tips to include on a daily basis to help regulate your nervous system and create more balance and ease within.

1. Rise and shine

Wake up at the same time every day and create a short morning routine to help you feel balanced and centered to start your day. This can include any combination of yoga, meditation, journaling, or simply sitting quietly and mindfully enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.

2. Meditation

2-5 minutes (or more) every morning to invite stillness. Take time to check in with yourself. Find a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Scan your body, release any tension. Connect with your breath. Notice thoughts/emotions arising as you bring your attention back to your breath. No pressure. No judgement. Simply be present with yourself. Offer yourself loving awareness, embracing what is right now. To end, take a moment to ask yourself how you are feeling and what you are needing right now… and listen deeply.

3. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude

A daily gratitude practice boosts our feel good hormones (dopamine and serotonin), boosts our immune system, cultivates a positive outlook and helps us embrace all the joy and abundance we have in our lives. Create a daily ritual of writing down 3 things that you are grateful for everyday. The act of writing has a calming and grounding effect. You can save your gratitude list as inspiration to read when you are feeling down or in need of inspiration.

4. Spend time outside

Spending time outside, (maintaining social distancing) especially in nature, helps to regulate our nervous system, strengthen our immune system, lower feelings of anxiety and depression and promote overall well-being. Studies suggest 30 minutes a day.

5. Move your body

We need both movement and stillness everyday. Exercise helps to release tension in both the body and mind, regulate our nervous system and boost our feel good hormones. Pick something that brings you joy and you look forward to so you remain motivated and inspired. It doesn’t have to be a lot, just enough to get your heart beating a little faster and the energy circulating through the body.

6. Meal planning and prep

Take time once a week to plan your meals so that you can stay on track with healthy and mindful choices to support how you want to feel. When we plan ahead, we avoid making choices at the last minute when we are more likely to cave into our cravings. When we eat at roughly the same time everyday (breakfast, lunch, dinner) we support our digestion and sustain our energy levels.

7. Creativity!

Take time for hobbies and projects that bring you joy and fill you up from the inside!. This might be spending time each day listening to or playing music, time for reading or writing, arts and crafts. When we spend time doing things we love, we fall into a flow state, which relaxes the mind, reduces stress and replenishes our internal reserves. It also fosters more creativity and inspiration.

8. Limit exposure to news and social media

Studies have shown that individuals who look at their phones (email, text, social media, news) within 15 minutes of waking up experience higher levels of overwhelm, anxiety and depression. Notice how the news and social media may be affecting your mental health and choose wisely how you spend your time and energy. Stay informed but determine how much exposure you need to stay balanced and feeling good in both body and mind.

9. Virtual Connection with Family & Friends: Send a virtual hug!

Whether it is a phone call or using Facetime, Skype or Zoom, we can use technology wisely to stay close and connected with family and friends at this time. Schedule in time each day to connect with either a friend, family or loved one or to join a group class for community connection.

10. Evening Wind down

To support a restful sleep, turn off all electronics at least 1 hour (or more) before bed and try to go to sleep at the same time every night. Use the time before bed to unwind, release the stress of the day and shift into relaxation mode to support better sleep. Adding in some restorative yoga or meditation, a bath or foot massage can help.

Start small as you begin to bring more self-care and routine to your day.

This is not something that should bring stress or feelings of overwhelm. Rather, look at routines as helping to create comfort, ease and flow to your day to help you feel more balanced.

When reading through this list, start with the one that resonates most with you at this time. Spend time with it; creating more consistency everyday and notice how this feels.

As you notice the benefits, begin to add in another step, and again notice how it makes you feel.

Adjust as you go….listen to what YOU are needing most and then make choices to support those needs. This is all about learning, growing our awareness and being kind to ourselves.

When we learn to take care of ourselves, to have compassion and kindness, we grow our sense of self-dignity and worthiness.

We learn to cultivate a healthy balance within so that our needs are met in a very compassionate way. And when our needs are met, it becomes joyful to help and be of service to others; to treat others in a gentle and supportive way.

Are you looking for ways to bring more self-care into your life? Do you like the accountability of a weekly class and the support of other like-minded people? Join us for the Sacred Living Course where we explore self-care through the lens of Ayurveda and yoga and learn to implement daily routines to support greater health and well-being.