International Self Care Day
International Self Care Day is on 24th July. How brilliant! Self Care is 24/7. How is your self care? If you realise that it could be better, what stops you from increasing the attention that you give yourself? If you are happy with the amount of self care you give yourself, that’s great, celebrate that.
I have been practicing self care for nearly 40 years. A period of depression taught me to shift my focus from a total focus on others needs to a clearer view of my own needs and how I could meet them. With practice and determination I crashed through the barriers of being told I was ‘selfish’ and began to manage my feelings of guilt. I didn’t have the awareness and conviction that I have now, so these lessons were hard and I travelled alone. Fortunately, I persisted and the journey towards empowerment became easier.
Barriers to self care
It’s hard to get started on something like improving self care, do you recognise any of these as your barriers …
Lack of time
Work commitments
Caring responsibilities
Guilt
Shame
Low self worth
In our online Project You self care course we explore these barriers and learn more about boundaries and setting intentions. We also explore ‘people pleasing’ and stepping into our own power. The course focusses on self care habits, such as sleep, hydration, eating well, exercise, rest & relaxation. And yet this course is not just about how to treat your body, it is much more than this. It will encourage you to explore your beliefs about each aspect of self care, and fundamentally your beliefs about self care.
The benefits of self care
Are you aware that the benefits of self care include,
More energy
Greater health and wellbeing
Improved sleep and relaxation
Better emotional regulation
Improved productivity and positive mood
How to improve self care
Would you like to experience these benefits? A good place to start improving self care is to make a date with yourself. We are in the habit of putting important dates and events in our diaries so I am giving you permission to put time for you in your diary. Find the smallest space, even if it is 10 minutes and expand this time to a bigger chunk of time as you become more practiced. You could make a list of self care activities that you enjoy and choose one of them for your date with yourself. Savour every moment of your date. You can do this! Let me know how your date goes.
I need help with self care
There are episodes of our podcast Positivity: A Work in Progress that may help you to give yourself more care and attention.
Series 7 Episode 8 Savouring
Series 7 Episode 7 Health & Vitality
Sderies 6 Episode 1 Self Care Part 2
Series 5 Episode 8 Self Care Part 1
Series 4 Episode 6 Journaling
Series 4 Episode 3 Guilt
Series 3 Episode 5 Self Compassion
Series 2 Episode 1 Personal Boundaries
