Self-Care Tips

On your journey towards wholeness, it is important to take care of yourself.  Taking care of yourself will help you to think more clearly, feel better about who you are, and have more energy. A daily routine, eat healthy foods and get plenty of rest are the calling cards for taking care of yourself. In addition, take care of your teeth, your hair, and your body.  Wear colors that appeal to you and your skin color.  Add accents to your furnishings to create a stimulating environment for yourself.  Make new friends and find people who you can share your life experiences with, your changes and growth.  You need to bring things into your life that bring you pleasure and fun, find things that you connect with and things that make you laugh and smile.  A nourished self creates a complete self!

Below are some examples of things that you can do to help you grow!
Physical

• Take a walk
• Ride a bike
• Soak in a hot bath with candles and music
• Exercise at the gym
• stretch and move or dance to music
• Sit in the sun for 15 minutes
• Change one thing to improve your diet
• Watch and listen to birds in nature
• Go swimming
• Sit in the garden or a park
• Take a nap
• Get a message
• Eat totally healthy for one day

Emotional

• Breath deep and think, "I am calm, I feel peace"
• Share feelings with a friend
• Sing
• Hug someone and ask for a hug
• Pretend that you are talking to someone and they are facing you in an empty chair.
• Notice what you are feeling twice in one day.
• Write a letter to someone who has hurt you, but do not give it to them.  Forgive them in your heart and burn or bury it.
• Notice your fear and take a step to face it
• Smile at a stranger
• List your accomplishments and post it on your bathroom mirror.

Mental

• Read a book or magazine
• Start writing in a journal, don't think about what you are saying.  Just say it!
• Make a to do list, and post it on your fridge, cross items off when you have completed them!
• Challenge yourself to write a poem
• Make of list of things that you want to improve your life with.  Write sub headings on steps you can take to accomplish your goals.
• Write down negative beliefs that limit your life.  Notice that limitation each day for a week until you have overcome it, then move on to the next one!  Give yourself time.
• List your traits (be honest)
• List your needs (your real needs)
• Lists your wants (without limitations)
• Make a list of short term and long term goals
• Review you day when you wake up and review your day before you sleep.

Spiritual

• Connect with nature
• Meditate for 5-15 minutes each day.  Focus on your breathing, feel the ground below you, where your legs meet the ground, listen to the sounds around you.  Don't worry about "blanking your mind" just learn to focus on your now while you stay quiet for a few moments each day.
• Volunteer in your community
• Get a book and learn about a religion different than your own.
• Practice forgiveness, even if you have to forgive over and over and over again.
• Give yourself quiet time every single day.  Time for yourself, time to think and feel outside of the world's hustle and bustle.