This self-care post is to all the mothers and care-givers out there. Have you forgotten what self-care feels like? Are you tired of always giving? Exhausted from looking after your children, your husband, a sick person? It’s totally natural if you are tried and feel a break will be the perfect gift anyone could offer you. It truly is difficult to give to others when you yourself are running on empty. Be kind to yourself and come away refreshed, so you can care for people in a more wholesome way. Here are a few self-care tips to help you feel better.
1. Self-Care Means Being Honest With Yourself
Listen to yourself. Ask yourself what you need emotionally, physically and mentally. Try and identify and understand what you are feeling. Do you feel sad, happy, frustrated, burnt out, unloved, unheard? Whatever you are feeling – it is important.
2. Self-Care Means Validating Emotions
After being honest with yourself, it is important to not dismiss how you feel. Maybe you are frustrated with a sick parent. Maybe you are resentful towards your partner for some reason. Maybe you are angry with your children because they are ungrateful. Whatever you feel, allow yourself to feel it without judgement and without trying to stop it.3. Self-Care means Managing Emotions
Managing emotions can be challenging when there is a lot going on around you everyday. Try and find a few moments for yourself in the day. Find a safe space and way to express these emotions you feel.
- Share with a friend
- Go for a walk
- Paint or create something to express the emotion you feel.
- Workout to release pent up emotions
- Talk assertively and openly to the person concerned
Take the time to explore what methods of releasing and managing emotions works for you, because that is self-care to you.
4. Self-Care Means Making SELF A Priority
Another person’s need is not greater than yours. Your own emotional, physical and mental needs are as important as the people you are caring for. More importantly it is your responsibility to care for yourself. So, find time for yourself where you can relax and unwind and not care for anybody but yourself.
- Read a book,
- Watch your favourite or most comforting TV show
- See a friend
- Get some coffee
- Pamper yourself by booking yourself a massage or get a mani-pedi
Do whatever helps you feel cared for that particular day, because we all know that some days eating ice-cream makes you feel cared for :)! Most importantly do what helps you feel like YOU are a priority.
5. Remember Self-care Isn’t A Once Off Thing
Self-care is something one remembers to do for self every day – the way one remembers to care for family and loved ones. Some women schedule in their self care time otherwise it doesn’t happen. So schedule an hour in, maybe before the family wakes up, or after they are asleep, or a quick hour when everyone is away.
Sometimes we all need reminders to stop and care for ourselves. We need to be reminded that our self-care is our own responsibility. It is no one else’ job to make sure you are putting your self-care first. Some times people are kind enough to remind us, but essentially our self-care is our own responsibility. This is why we need to create the moments that make us whole and happy and intentionally set time aside to fill ourselves….because its these moments of self-care that help us go on!
Copyright © Yellowbrickcounseling.com | Author: Anugrah Bhagwat
