Hello bloggy blog! It feels like eons since I’ve shared a post here. I’ve been moving through different phases, attempting to do things I thought I should do, and learning that change doesn’t have to mean doing things I don’t want to do. I’ve felt like less of a jumbled mess but I think I’ve still been misdirecting myself more than I’d like. I kept running into the same roadblocks, the same hurdles, and feeling stuck. For me, these have been signs (that I kept bypassing) indicating I wasn’t in alignment. 🚫
Alignment, I feel, comes from doing what feels good to me in a way that uses my skills, talents, and abilities properly. It includes feeling supportive and seen but not forcing anything to happen. In this space, things just F L O W. 🌊This feeling is essentially what I’ve been in search of for so long, but recent months showed me that I was not living in a way that was conducive to this spirit of purpose, ease, and flow that I craved.
Let me fill you in on where I’ve been the past few months….🧐
I’ve been trying to grow my social media presence and I spent a period of time posting everyday even though I don’t always feel inspired to. It also takes a BIG chunk of my time on the daily to compose Instagram reels (which are primarily what I was posting). Just to break it down: I have to prep, film, edit, compose a caption, and then strategically post it at the right time for the algorithm, plus seek out accounts to engage with, and prepare to do that all over again. So, I was totally plowing through my energy reserves and practically making Instagram a full-time job…except it was a job that paid me nothing.🤪
What’s more important for me to note is how I was completely bypassing how I felt when the signs of unhappiness were there. 🤦
I lost the creative joy I used to feel from creating Instagram posts. I was making content based on what I thought would hit, and not content that I actually wanted to make.
I was letting myself feel pressured from others to PROVE MYSELF—to prove that I am enough.
I was following tons of business and marketing accounts and taking in an excessive amount of other people’s advice, while suppressing my exhaustion with the whole process.
I was forcing myself to be on social media A LOT and chat/message/comment/engage when my naturally introverted self has a pretty low bandwidth for socializing.🥴
I felt like I was trying to push products/ my services to prove myself.
I felt like I wasn’t being seen by others for my knowledge, skills, and talents, and to combat this…I kept creating more offerings, making more posts, and doing more in an effort to get ahead.
Whew! I’m exhausted just from writing that list—but not as exhausted as I was when experiencing that practically every day for around 2 months. So when you mix it all together, what do you get? A recipe for burnout.😩
We live in a society that values productivity and practically mandates people work, in the paid sense of the word. Work is literally anything you spend your time on! If we were to look at work through this perspective, then it neutralizes it. ➡️ Work doesn’t have to be hard, laborious, stressful, involve long hours, be for someone else, or even involve pay. #ThingsINeededToBeRemindedOf The work I think we should value more is that which makes us EXCITED or brings us SATISFACTION with how we are using our energy. 🍧
I’d like to take the concept of work a step further and say it’s worthwhile work to spend time with yourself. No one taught me this but it’s something I’ve learned to be true over and over again. Therefore, excessively doing in recent months led me to craving and taking a big break (from Instagram, my podcast, and my business) to come back to me. As a creative individual, I really think spending time with myself not only recharges my battery but gives me the space to notice my own good ideas. 🎨 If you’re always around other people or doing things you don’t enjoy, that tends to silence your own inner voice. Who are you if you aren’t in touch with yourself?
Considering self-connection is an area that I have felt lost with multiple times in my life, I can offer some solid advice, from personal experience, on how to come back home to yourself.
1. CREATE SPACE🐚
It can be hard to recognize what’s not working for you when you’re IN the thick of it. In this case, you need to put some distance between you and the thing (or person).🕶️ Separation creates space. For some, this newfound space may be all they needed—i.e. It wipes an unnecessary task or two off your plate. For others, having space in their life allows them an opportunity to get some perspective—perspective that can even help them change directions. However, let’s not get ahead of things quite yet!
2. WORK ON THE BASICS
What do you fill your time with when you’re in this place of more space than ever before? 🍹 If you’re hyper-conditioned by society (hello, you’re human) or really desperate for direction, you may be tempted to launch into anything! I will caution you to take a step back and breathe. When you’ve been in the work, work, work or do, do, do mode for so long, it’s hard to be still with yourself.
When I create space in my life, I tend to cut ties with extraneous responsibilities and just focus on the absolute bare minimum. I’m not saying you have to do the absolute bare minimum but I find this helps me rest and find my footing again. 🧘♀️ Bare minimum also doesn’t mean stare at a wall all day. For fun activities: I lean into meditation, no-pressure creative projects (i.e. something you’re doing just for you), and spending time with my family and pets. These are simple things that make me feel like ME.
3. ACKNOWLEDGE THE PHASE🌻
I believe we go through cycles and sometimes we’re in a phase of the cycle that calls for doing more or doing less; sometimes it calls for planning or reassessing. Regardless of the point in the cycle we are in, we know that it will circle around, as cycles do. We struggle and overcome, and then struggle again and overcome again. That is life—filled with learning and growing. 🎱
The best thing I have found, as I luxuriate in this space, is to not put pressure on myself to hurry up and “fix” myself. I’m not spending time on rest or joyful hobbies to simply recharge and throw myself back into stuff that I hate. No. I’m spending time on these things because I deserve it and it makes me feel good. If you spend time on yourself with *rushed energy* or the energy of “I’m not deserving of taking time for myself”, then that cuts you off from yourself and all of the beautiful things in life meant for you.
I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my favorite people. Mark Groves, on the Mark Groves Podcast, says:
If you don’t take care of yourself, it’s always going to feel selfish.
I think there’s two main mindsets that people have during this coronavirus self-quarantine/stay at home situation many of us are in. There is one camp of people who is thinking of themselves (and perhaps their family unit) and another camp that is thinking of others.
It’s understandable and necessary to make sure you have your basic needs met and are doing things to take care of yourself. However, once you feel like you have your grounding, it’s a nice thing to lend a helping hand for your fellow humans.
Let me also say that lending a helping hand isn’t something we do out of obligation but out of good conscience. It feels good to help others. During times like this, the worst is brought out in some people, but there is also tremendous opportunity to lessen the woes and burdens of humanity by showing some compassion and assisting where you can.
If you’ve been wondering how you can make a difference for others during the COVID-19 Self-Quarantine, here are some ideas:
Create a supply basket
If you’ve already loaded up on non-perishables, hygienic supplies, toilet paper, and such, then consider making a basket for an elderly relative, a neighbor, an expecting mama, or any friend who might have trouble getting to the grocery store for supplies. You can drop them off at their doorstep and give them a call right after. Alternatively, you could package up a box and send it to them in the mail if they live further away. Tip: USPS can deliver packing materials to your home free of charge.
Miscellaneous chores
Speaking of helping friends, neighbors, and individuals in need, ask them how you can be of service. Maybe their lawn is getting out of control and you can help mow it. Over half of the population takes medication, often for chronic illness treatment. It’s not the ideal time to be in stores for the immune-compromised individuals so perhaps you can pick up prescription medications for them.
Support small/local business
Tons of businesses are affected by the current situation. Small and local businesses, in particular, are suffering. Many small businesses rely on their physical shop, community events, or pop-up carts to sell products. Some have turned to online selling, whether through their own website or Etsy, as a means to get by. If neither is available, reach out to those businesses and see if they can ship items to you in the mail. You could Paypal or Zelle them so they get paid and you get your products.
Construct face masks
We all know, or can imagine, that healthcare service-providers are being impacted the most as doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and more are flooded with increasing numbers of people showing symptoms of COVID-19. Whether their cases are severe or not, healthcare workers are at risk all day long! There is a shortage of face masks in the country. Part of that is because the public has been buying up these medical-grade masks, which takes from the medical suppliers, and, thus, healthcare workers, who really need them.
The CDC has information on a couple of ways you can make your face mask at home. Civilians: please use these when leaving your home or interacting with others. If you have the means to, you could also make extra and donate them to a local hospital. Healthcare workers can use the DIY face masks as a coverage for their limited-supply medical-grade ones so that they can keep reusing them.
Share your services
Are you self-employed or do you hold learned skills of any kind? People are still interested in consuming your services but you’re in a unique position to stick with what you’ve been doing or adapt to the current climate. Many individuals/businesses are offering free workshops, webinars, and e-books in any topic you can think of. Free or discounted services are especially helpful for laid off or displaced workers and their families.
Services can also be in the form of entertainment. I’ve seen authors creating short stories to post on their website for free, YouTubers creating more frequent/daily videos or vlogs to keep people educated/entertained, musicians offering charity donations from proceeds of their pay-what-you-can downloaded music, and yoga teachers filming meditations and flows to help their community, since in-person classes aren’t an option right now. Think of what skills you have and how you can share those online at low or no-cost for others.
Adopt a pet
You might be thinking: isn’t this a list of how to help other people? Yes, it is, but helping animals also helps people! Think of it: those who are running or volunteering at animal shelters still have to tend to the shelter animals daily. It might be difficult for them to obtain the amount of volunteers necessary (always but especially now) to keep things running. You can also do a search on Facebook, Craigslist, or any website for local-to-you news and see if anyone has pets for adoption. If you can adopt an animal, that helps lighten the load on shelters or people with more pets than they can comfortably manage. Plus, you end up with a furry friend to care for and keep you company while staying home!
When it comes down to the basics, people might be well-covered but it’s the staying home part that can eat away at our sanity. We can go a little stir-crazy and miss some face to face interaction. A simple but amazing way to help others is by reaching out and offering your listening ears. Sometimes there are physical things you can do to help like some of the things on this list! Yet, other times people may just want to vent, decompress, or chat about something other than the coronavirus. It’s nice to chat and rekindle friendships that we may not have had time for in a while. Reconnect through any of the fabulous video chatting apps we have nowadays or via a phone call.
Don’t forget to celebrate!
You might be reading this and thinking: celebrate WHAT?! Nothing good is happening!! With all due respect, there is still a lot of good happening on a daily basis, even in times like these. Just as it is important to reach out to your friends and family to see how they are doing, reach out to acknowledge their special moments. Many people feel bummed to have to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or other occasions at home. Celebrate the moments with those you know and be proud of the accomplishments of those you don’t know, like the kind-spirits featured on John Krasinski’s Some Good News YouTube Channel!
How is this list for feasible and helpful things you can do right now? In what way do you plan to help? If you have other ideas or tips to offer assistance during coronavirus self-quarantine then feel free to leave those in the comments below.
I hope you all are well and staying safe. I’ve been laying low myself and have come to a comfortable place with the whole stay-at-home situation. For a while I was going stir-crazy but that was before I realized the potential for self-work and growth that this time offers.
There are a ton of lists and videos floating around for things you can do during self-quarantine to help the time pass. I’ve seen them and you’ve probably seen them. However, I don’t want to ask you to go watch Netflix shows for the next few weeks just because you’re staying home. I love Netflix as much as the next person but I hope to enlighten you with some different ways you can make the most of your time in self-quarantine.
This is a list of some of my favorite things to do during self-quarantine to tend to my body, mind, and spirit.
Learn a new skill
Everyone on the interweb is telling you to take up knitting and painting but pick up a skill you like. I’m personally drawn toward creative projects but skills can also be more educational. You can find TONS of tutorials on YouTube for how to fix broken appliances, construction projects using extra plywood you have laying around, or how to use QuickBooks! Yes, you can learn skills to improve your financial organization (do your own taxes!), start an online business, even how to code or do data entry. There is a lot of FREE information available, which is what I’d encourage you to utilize first before buying anything; it just requires a little digging–but, hey, you have time, remember?
Dive into self-work
I know I’m not the only one who had a minor (or major) freak out when businesses started shutting down, news reports of people contracting the virus showered TV and online media sites, or when the government released mandates to stay home. It’s important to be informed but what helped me, and what has helped me for a while now, is turning my fears inside out. After a moment of panic, I try to regain my footing and ask myself why something is freaking me out. Why am I afraid?
One fear is usually attached to another fear. So, if you can take yourself down that rabbit hole, you can get to the bottom of things and create new belief systems. When you engage in self-work, you can use fears as an opportunity to see where you’re unintentionally keeping yourself small or where you’re repeating patterns not serving you. This is honestly a topic that needs more than one tiny paragraph to do it justice but, if your interest is piqued, I’ll direct you to some of my favorite resources to get your feet wet.
Oh, movement, how I adore you. In my earliest days of dabbling with self-care, movement was my way to feel good. Move your body and, naturally, you will flush out stagnant energy and find a new flow. Contrary to what anyone might tell you, there is no “better” or “worse” form of exercise. The best kind of exercise is the one you’re going to enjoy doing. If you don’t have any movement routine at the moment, or if your current one ever feels like a chore, then change it up. You don’t have to be married to ONE form of movement.
In fact, every form of exercise has its own health and mood-boosting powers. The reason for that is because when you get movement in, you take your mind off of stressors or anything else going on. You’re focusing on the activity you’re engaged in, balance, strategy, and potential (i.e. that’s why it’s important to rotate exercises or attempt more advanced movements when they no longer challenge you). So, I think you’ll follow when I say movement challenges your body and your mind. And that post-workout high you get? I’d say that’s your spirit being lifted.
Deepen your faith
Do you have a spiritual practice? Spirituality is our way as humans to explain the happenings of the world and give us purpose. It is once I developed my sense of spirituality that I was able to see myself as more than just a hamster on a wheel (going nowhere). If you’ve ever been told, “things just happen” or “that’s just the way it is”, you’ll know that is not at all comforting. An effective spiritual practice piques thought, proposes reasons for why we go through things in life, and offers possibilities for how to navigate them.
My sense of spirituality isn’t just tied to religion, churches, and prayer but if that resonates with you then keep at it. Deepen your practice, read the scriptures, and have discussions. Additionally, I think talking about our beliefs with a community that is open and receptive is one very important component to spirituality. I have found my like-minded community through podcasts I listen to and online groups on Facebook. Don’t ever feel like you’re an oddball in terms of beliefs–there is a community for everything, you just need to go out there and find it.
Seek out expanding media
This is still bouncing off the topic of spirituality but hear me out. I think a big influence on our belief system is the media we choose to consume. The shows you watch and the things you hear are reinforcing certain ideas. Are those ideas benefiting you? Many times, we don’t realize how ingrained our belief systems are until something comes forward to question it.
Start by finding a resource that speaks to you in an area that interests you. This can be a book, a blog, a podcast, a movie, or anything that piques your interest. Maybe you’re a singer and you’d like to start playing shows live; so, watch some documentaries on singers you admire. If you’re a woman who wants to travel alone but isn’t sure how, try reading the accounts of other women who have done the same. Consuming media in this way is a safe method to explore a subject you’re interested in without any commitments.
Cook something new
Ohhh yesss. If you’re typically an eat-out-at-restaurants kind of person then staying home presents an added challenge–but a fun one! For anyone completely new to cooking at home, my biggest tip is to try recreating a dish that you like ordering out. Cooking, like movement, is a lot more fun when you’re eating/doing something you like.
Those who know their way around a mixing bowl (my first kitchen experimentation was through baking before moving into cooking) but don’t often use a grill might want to try cooking something new. I know cooking can simply be a form of fuel for some and they’re pleased enough with a sandwich but, if we’re talking about learning new skills, it feels really empowering when you can make whatever it is you’re craving with confidence.
It might seem really obvious but staying at home provides a great time to bond with your family or housemates. You all are forced to see each other a little more than usual now and perhaps that has caused some head-butting. I know it has been a little tense in my house! However, talk it out and reconnect with them. Express your intentions and open up the channels for communication. That will make spending isolated time with each other much easier.
Tend to your yard and garden
Those of us who live in a traditional house can use this time to cultivate a visually attractive yard or patio. Trim any askew tree branches, dedicate a spot of land to create a compost, or re-purpose some fresh branches to grow another plant–a no-cost way to get more plants without buying more. If you have packets of seeds, then now is the perfect moment to plant flowers, veggies, or other plants to liven up your yard.
If you’re in an apartment, you can also liven up your space by sweeping the steps, clearing your patio of clutter, and creating a potted plant arrangement.
Relax & Release
Ironically, those of us who have a little more time on our hands might be the most stressed of all! It’s understandable to feel confused and even scared but holding onto such strong emotions can really weigh on you. Movement is one way to ease negative emotions out but also including practices that remind you that you are safe. I like taking a walk, drinking some warm tea while sitting outdoors, or singing aloud to my favorite songs. Let’s also give a special mention to baths because they are so helpful to warm up our muscles and release stored tension in our bodies.
If you’re staying home, this is the perfect time to sort through any closets, under the bed, or any places of storage. Years and years will pass where we just keep holding onto clothes that don’t fit us, obsolete paperwork, or knick-knacks that a friend brought back from their Cancun vacation. I’m not saying you have to get rid of anything but, going through all the corners of your home might reveal some stuff you haven’t looked at in years. When you create space, you make room for new energy, new products, and new opportunities that better align with who you are today (not the you from 10 years ago that saved that stuff).
Let’s also take a moment to give special mention to clearing out social media, email, and online storage. I know you’ve probably got tons of accounts you don’t even know you’re following on social media. Weed them out and you’ll get a feed more customized to what you want. And, instead of paying for additional storage, make use of free services like Dropbox and Google Drive–just stop clouding them up with assignments from college and photos from high school. You know who you are.
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To be honest, many of the items on this list aren’t too different from things I enjoy doing on a regular basis. The only difference now for myself, and probably for many of you, is the amount of time you have on your hands. Some of these things might not directly seem like they impact your mind, body, and spirit but it’s little actions that add to your overall peace and sense of well-being.
I know baths are on every self-care list out there but that is for good reason. There is a hugely therapeutic element to taking a bath. In a society that encourages us to do, do, do all of the time, it can be hard to hang out in still water for 20 minutes or more. You can bring a calming music playlist, a book, or some toys with you into the bathtub. Yes, you read that right! There’s also no need to feel like a fish in a bowl of hot water. Add bath salts to the water, tea bags, flower petals, herbs, or essential oils.
When I take a bath, it is an opportunity to release tightness in my body and relax. It’s not an everyday thing but I try to honor those cravings when I feel them because it means my spirit is in need of a little TLC (or I’m just sore after a workout). If I don’t have time for a full on bath, I like to also just soak my feet in hot water. You can fill up a basin or sit on your bathroom counter top, if you’re lazy like me.
Our feet are a huge place of stored tension and energy so it’s important to tend to them. You can add a sprinkle of the mustard bath (recipe below) to your foot soak, too! A few minutes, or however long feels good to you, will work wonders for relieving stress and helping you feel revived.
I like to follow up both of these with a self-administered foot massage and lots of lotion!
Okay, let’s move on to the recipe. I bet half the people who clicked over here thought I was talking about squeezing French’s mustard all over myself but nooo. Save that for your hot dogs. For this bath soak, you’ll need dry mustard powder. You can find this in the spice section of most grocery stores or order online for a better price in bulk!
I pulled inspiration from Ayurveda but many cultures have traditionally used mustard baths as a way to heal from sickness by drawing toxins out of the body with the spices, salts, and hot water. It can also be used for body aches and pains. You’re going to sweat a lot but that’s where the healing takes place!
If you happen to be more of a buy than a DIY person, Dr. Singha’s makes the original mustard bath soak which you can find here.
DIY Mustard Bath Soak Recipe
1 cup Epsom salt*
1/2 cup sea salt
1/3 cup organic mustard seed powder
1/4 cup baking soda
1 Tbsp. organic ginger root powder
1 tsp. organic cinnamon powder
20 drops of essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, and clove*
Instructions:
In a large jar, add everything from the Epsom salt to the essential oils. Tightly seal the lid and shake to combine all ingredients.
To Use:
As you fill your bathtub, add 1/3 – 1/2 cup of soak mix to the water. If soaking only your feet, opt for 1 heaped tbsp and add to very warm water.
Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll likely feel your body heat up but this is natural. This is how the toxins come out. If you experience discomfort, soak for less time. A longer soak is not recommended.
Afterwards, rinse yourself and the tub (to prevent stains) and be sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
NOTE:
*If your Epsom salt is enhanced with essential oils already, you could skip the essential oils or reduce for your liking.
I think we are in an era where the term self-care comes up more often than maybe it once did. Self-care is a buzzword that has become a catch-all to describe taking time for yourself. I want to deconstruct this idea a little bit.
We hear the word self-care and what comes to mind? We all think of something right away. Maybe the cliché idea of bubbles baths or Netflix and chill are prominent images. My personal favorite methods are going on a walk, hanging out with friends, or even (back when I had my pet rabbit) petting an animal can be extremely soothing. I’d be curious to hear what your go-to ideas of self-care are, if you want to share with me.
However, I have a modest proposal: we should be doing these things every day.
Self-care things aren’t supposed to be special occasion things. When we spend time on these sorts of activities (make sure you pick your own though—don’t hesitate to choose things you like) they give us purpose. If you aren’t doing something that lights you up every day then come talk to me.
I don’t look at self-care as a momentary thing. I consider the way certain activities make me feel and how they connect to me on a soul level. I ask myself: what’s your why? If you know why you’re doing something, you can attribute more meaning to the things that feel true to you…and consequently, let go of the frivolous stuff that doesn’t really advance you.
Speaking of frivolous stuff, let’s talk social media for a sec.
I am pretty sure the reason behind the creation of any social media app or site is for the purpose of connection and inspiration. If that is how you use it then that means:
a) you don’t use it as a distraction—i.e. no mindless scrolling while on a break or standing in line. You dedicate time to spend because it makes you feel happy, and
b) you feel rejuvenated, creative, or inspired through using it.
Different situations may play out but, at the root of things, I feel both of those items would be in place if you have a healthy relationship with social media. Yet, I’d be more inclined to call BS on most anyone who claims to have a healthy relationship with social media. There really is such a fine line to walk between using it for pleasure and turning it into a trap for self-criticism.
So many people like to utilize their free time on social media but it does not really do anything for them.
You think: Okay, I’m going to spend the rest of the evening on me by doing something I enjoy. Then, you open up your phone and suddenly a few hours have passed and all you have to add to your life is a neck cramp and a treacherous spiral into comparison and self-loathing. I’ve been there!
Let’s not just blame social media though. Heck, maybe pulling up that newly added second season of a show on Netflix isn’t really doing anything for you either. You finish your episodes and really don’t feel much better. Well, maybe a smidge of satisfaction at having watched a show you like but the feeling is fleeting as you start to settle back into reality. Well, let me not speak for everyone here. If binging that second season genuinely makes you feel happy to be alive and inspired to wake up tomorrow, then keep living life exactly the way you are!
Is your self-care time disguising a need for something else?
I can’t tell you what forms of self-care are right for you and neither can anyone else. You have to be the judge of how you are using certain outlets and if they are hindering you from growth or facing other problems. While I think we could all enjoy a distraction from stressful times, whatever problems we have are still going to be there when we end our self-care ritual.
Sometimes there isn’t much that can be done in a given moment. Although, more often than not, I think we have an underlying dissatisfaction with something and we are simply avoiding dealing with it. Maybe you hate your job but it’s easier to have a killer weekend drinking with friends than figure out how to get change your situation. When your finances aren’t in a great state, you might avoid looking at your bank statement because it just feels like a weight on you. If your physical health has dwindled away, it is much more comfortable to keep up your same patterns than have to clean house on habits that are harming you.
If you know me, I like to go deep (how’s that for my new profile one-liner?). There’s a reason as to why self-care activities seem to be super hit or miss or downright cringe-y just to even think about. That’s because the cliché self-care practices tend to offer such temporary, surface-level, momentary satisfaction that barely makes a dent in what is really the issue.
Many of us (though I’d prefer to say ALL of us) have areas where we could improve. We may be aware of what those areas are or we may not. Either way, nothing is ever going to change if you don’t take an interest in getting to the root cause of why you need that clutch of a distraction you’ve been leaning on.
I’ll take longer-lasting effects over temporary satisfaction any day.
At this point, you probably get my drift that I like taking a holistic approach, going deep, and achieving longer-lasting effects. If not, I’d just be bouncing from one self-care practice to the next, never feeling any better that before. I don’t want to totally knock any “light” self-care activities but I think we reach for these because they are all we know or we are afraid to go deeper.
What I mean by that is: we are conditioned to think that when something is bothersome, irritating, or unpleasant in our lives, we need only seek out a distraction that is the opposite of all that! However, if you recognize that the problem persists, that’s when you know the problem isn’t just a passing phase—it is a deeper-seated issue that needs to be addressed.
In the latter case, what we are actually searching for is connection to our authentic selves. Whatever your belief system is, I believe we all have a spiritual self within us that desires more attention than we give it. Spirituality is just one facet of us but I think it plays an integral part in connecting to our purpose and divine guidance. Another name for it is INTUITION. When things feel off, it is not because we are meant to have a sucky life; it is because we are out of alignment with ourselves!
Do you know what the best way to connect to our authentic selves is?
It is literally, so easy you won’t believe me. It does not require a luxurious space, tons of money, or fancy gadgets.
Sit in a quiet room and think.
Yup, it’s that simple.
The magic here is listening to what comes to mind. What are the things that are weighing on you? Are you happy or unhappy with your current situation? Why? What do you want to bring more of into your life?
I know I list these off so easily but they’re not easy questions and it’s not easy to be in such a setting with zero distractions. I admit it is scary to be alone and have to confront yourself with these deeper questions when you aren’t used to doing that. The stuff that arises might be a lot of “I don’t know” answers at first but it gets better after some tries. I promise.
Taking this time to really just sit with yourself and your thoughts, participating in self-assessment and constructive personal development, is what I call authentic self-care. When you truly know yourself, you are your best self.
There are some physical tools for enhancing self-care time that you might find helpful.
I said no fancy gadgets are needed but I will recommend a journal and pen. These simple and easily accessible tools can be super helpful when you feel like you’ve got a basket of trash (thoughts) inside your head that needs emptying. When you write all of that stuff out, your head feels cleared. In essence, your journal becomes an excellent avenue for any-time brain dumps!
Additionally, if the act of sitting in complete quiet seems like the opposite of peaceful, it’s because we are so conditioned to feel like we must always be doing something. I recommend putting on a guided meditation with a focus on whatever specific intention you’d like to work on or just play instrumental meditation music to set the mood. Both of these are great tools to help you get in the right headspace and put you in a state of ease. The meditations can be accessed free on YouTube, too! I’ll link my favorite guided one and instrumental one.
Now tell me, what does self-care mean to you? What makes you feel most connected to your authentic self?
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