Self-care is everything that you consciously do that is a part of caring for your mental, emotional, and physical health. While it’s a simple notion, it’s something frequently overlooked. Basic self-care is vital to improving mood and reducing stress.  It is about refueling yourself so you can continue to do those things that you are passionate about. It’s something you should indulge in regularly. 

Knowing you are worthy to be taken care of is an important aspect of self-care as it improves self-esteem and self-confidence, which are vital to your ability to grow. Maintaining a good work-life balance allows you to set limits to those areas of your life that cause stress and therefore make you less productive.  Life is more about truly living and not just existing, and you need to make conscious choices each day about how you want your life to take shape.  The best benefit of implementing self-care is better overall health.

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. ~ Audre Lorde

Indulging In Mental Self-Care

The art of saying “no” is a hard skill to gain.  For a long time, I was a people-pleaser. I said “yes” to taking on more responsibility, even though I knew I didn’t have the time needed to do the task properly.  Again, I said “yes” to giving more of myself to someone who deserved no more of me because of their horrible behavior. So, I needed to forgive myself and learn to say “no.”

When you say “yes” to something, and don’t want to do the task, then you feel resentment.  Bitterness towards the requester and anger at yourself for the task you’re doing.  Most people will procrastinate in doing the task that was committed to, instead of asserting themselves and clearly stating the complete sentence; no.   Learning to say no, so that when you say yes, there is no resentment, is how you know you are understanding the concept of setting personal boundaries.

Also, indulge by adding play back into your life. This process is a completely individualized concept based on what you enjoy.  Maybe you play the guitar and you can jam for 15 minutes a day to help you decompress.  And once you loosen up and enjoy the music, it turns into 30 minutes.  Any creative endeavors help connect you to that creative part of the brain, which improves problem-solving and is fun. Whatever it is, you need to do it every day to help keep the joy in your life.

Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. ~ Oliver W. Holmes Sr.

Indulging In Emotional Self-Care

Each day needs to begin with a grounding ritual. Whether it’s meditation, prayer, or journaling. Journaling is a beneficial way to get your emotions out of your system in a safe manner.  You can yell at the page or cry your eyes out in a safe place.  It is also a way to pray where you can track effects. Or work out issues because writing causes the creative mind to look at things from a different perspective.

Alone time is precious. Everyone needs time for themselves.  Whether it is to take in a museum event or just a quiet bubble bath, indulging in time alone is vital.  It helps you get quiet and stay in touch with your souls- your authentic self. 

Laugh every day.  Read the funny pages or get an app that tells you a joke each day.  Watch a comedy with your family.  Laughter gives you more happy endorphins that help improve your mood and decreases stress hormones.  Laughter has always been a great prescription.

Exercise is amazing for emotional health. It’s a great way to work out tension from the body and give you endorphins–those happy hormones- to change your mood.  Make sure you enjoy whatever exercise you choose so you will want to stick to it. 

Do we indulge our hearts or cater to our fears? ~ Peter McWilliams

Indulging in Physical Self-Care

Get enough sleep.  Yes, sleep is vital to your physical and mental health.  This is when the amazing human body deals with toxins and can heal the dis-ease that has occurred.  Without enough sleep, you cause more stress and disease will begin.

Eat a healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and processed foods.  Your body needs the right food to refuel your muscles and provide your brain with the components of good mental alertness.  Brain fog can be diminished by not having that sugary mid-afternoon snack or caffeinated drink. By caring about yourself and what you put into your body, you can improve your body’s performance and energy levels. 

Move your body.  Yes, this could be exercise, but I meant to dance.  You can dance while you are doing the dishes or straightening up the house.  Or you can take an after-dinner walk around the neighborhood.  Enjoy nature or connecting with the neighbor are added benefits to the evening walk.  Stretching improves flexibility and reduces muscle tension. It is something that you should incorporate before exercising, but it is something essential that you should do daily.

Breathe consciously.  Stop and listen to your breath.  Yes, right now.   Are you breathing deeply?  Probably you’re not; most people don’t realize how shallow their breathing is as they go through their day.  Indulge right now and take three deep breaths and oxygenate your blood.  Your brain fog will start to lift too. 

Do what is best for your body and don’t think that just because everyone else is doing it that it will work for you. Know what fuels your body to be at its best, and enjoy the little things! Indulge! ~ Ali Krieger

Self-Care Implementation

Use rituals, habits, and routines to help you realign. Three deep breaths physically cause your autonomic nervous system to relax and quiet the egoic mind’s chatter. Thus allowing you to come back into alignment with your authentic self. When you do something fun, you allow yourself to reconnect with the inner child, which allows creativity to flow. And only when you are aligned can you be in the flow.

So, plan your self-care activities.  Put them on your calendar like an appointment you have to keep.  Everyone has good intentions until something comes up and then you put your care aside to deal with something else.  Be resolute with your calendar when you book a self-care appointment.

Self-care isn’t a one-time activity.  You need to indulge in self-care consistently.  Make it a priority in your life.  Remember, if you are ill or tired, you cannot help those around you.  This is why you are told to put on your oxygen mask before assisting others.  Yes, self-care is for you, but it also benefits your loved ones.  The healthier you are, the better you can support them.

Have a friend keep you accountable.  A great way to be sure you keep your self-care plan of action from falling apart is to employ a friend to keep you responsible.  Or maybe you agree to help each other with a self-care plan by working together.  Accountability helps you keep your promise to take better care of yourself.

There are moments to indulge and enjoy, but I always know when it’s time to go home and wash my knickers. ~ Kate Winslet

Time To Take Action

So what is holding you back from implementing your self-care plan?  If you do not make time for yourself, then sickness will force you to take the time and it’s normally inconvenient.

• Are you too tired to do anything for yourself – isn’t that proof that you need more sleep and should implement a self-care plan? 
• Negative attitude keeping your life stagnating?   The universe gives you opportunities repeatedly to improve your life if you just stop for a moment, breathe, and make a plan. 
• Or are you looking for permission from others to care for yourself?

When you’re looking for ways to thrive, you often ask others for guidance. This questioning is acceptable because you can gain perspective from the trusted members of your tribe. But don’t confuse advice with permission.

What do I mean? Many people, especially women, ask others for guidance as a disguise for permission. Are you looking for someone to permit you to indulge in self-care? Why are you questioning your ability to choose what is best for you? Only your soulful self knows what’s best for you. And all you have to do to get the answers you need is to get quiet and go within.

You don’t need, nor do you want, other people’s permission to be your authentic self or indulge in self-care. Nor do you need others’ consent to thrive. You have established your worthiness and know only your permission is required.

What’s the point of being a grown-up if you can’t indulge the kid inside you every now and then? ~ Jacqueline Carey

Moving Forward Indulging

You create more issues when you don’t indulge in self-care. When you are physically, mentally, and emotionally drained, you lose perspective. You can become cynical, react negatively, and feel disconnected from yourself.

But when you are aligned and balanced, you are in harmony with yourself and the world around you. See, having a full cup allows you to give to others and have the best perspective on the day’s circumstances. You feel inspired, connected, and productive.

So indulging, allowing yourself pleasure, is part of feeling fulfilled in life.

When life catches up with us, we all need space to dream and indulge. ~ Zoe Sugg

Do you need help to create a self-care routine? Are you looking for support to live a more balanced life? Do you want a strategy to help you create an extraordinary life? If so, please get in touch with me, and we can put together an action plan for you to indulge in some self-care and thrive.

To see how I learned to indulge in self-care, you can do so by reading my book, Raven Transcending Fear, available on Amazon or you can go to RavenTranscendingFear.com for more information.

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Summary

Article Name

Permit Yourself To Indulge In Self-Care To Help You Thrive In Life

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When you indulge in self-care activities, you are improving your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Indulging is a part of thriving.

Author

Terri Kozlowski

Publisher Name

Kozmic Soul Solutions LLC

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