“Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more important than the judgment we pass on ourselves.”
– Nathaniel Branden
Amongst all the societal constructs and restrictions that are placed on a person, the truly challenging and important ones are the restrictions we place on ourselves. Our minds work in tandem with our experiences or the experiences of someone we trust, and build an assumption based on the most familiar/ seemingly logical of conclusions. These conclusions don’t often have anything to do with the actual subject in question, but we arrive at them with such rapid force and within such a short time, that our minds often adapt and reform to doing that with every situation we come across. As part of our daily routines every day, we handle quite a bit of stress with maybe less than a pinch of salt. I’m sure any working professional, no matter what they do or where they do it, experiences a particular sort of stress. At times, during those turbulent waves of stress and pressure, we even assume and conclude things about our own selves. This is when we need to take care of our own well-being the most.
Self-care is about giving ourselves relief when we feel overwhelmed. It is about addressing our problems holistically. Self-care is the mind-set, activities, practices and habits we bring to bear against stress, unhappiness, illness, depression and many more negative emotions.
“Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
― Reinhold Niebuhr
Most of the “damage” done to our lives is by our own choices and their consequences in the big game called Life. When things don’t go our way, or how we would like them to go, we simply assume that the world is at fault. The world and its people are the perpetual cause for all the trouble and disarray in my life. Without assuming responsibility for own decisions and the ripples they cause in the macro scenario of things, we cannot grow beyond our limits and restrictions. We will not be able to identify where our areas of improvement are, and how they can be brought to life. We would need an immense reservoir of patience, humbleness and sincerity to be able to channel our minds and bodies to be attune with your soul.
Now, the key to self-care and wellness is to retain objectivity. We, as social animals, take tend ourselves and everything around us too seriously and personally; although that may not be the case at all. For example, if someone called you a fat cow, chances are you retaliate either verbally, behaviourally or even physically. The end result of these courses of action seems similar: the two or more parties involved develop distaste for one another. However, imagine this. A person calls you a fat cow, and you smile and moo. The atmosphere in the space is altered drastically. The person who possibly intended to offend you or even just vent, has now found a reason to smile with you. Our approach to the situations we face changes drastically when we put our egos aside.
As productive members of society, we often set aside our own well-being for what we consider even more important. This is the farthest from the truth. We cannot expect ourselves to alter any situation,
idea or person without altering our own thoughts, notions and actions. To fully believe you know it all, you must either truly know it all or know nothing of it. One daily routine at a time, self-case activities and quotes will help you revitalize your mental capabilities and channel your soul better. Self-care activities are usually carried out, or at least initiated by, the person themselves. To care for yourself, you need to know you needs and seek them out. Take time to identify the activities and actions that make you feel good. Create lists of activities and posters of quotes, and place them in areas you interact with a lot (workstation, kitchen, and bedroom). Make time for yourself in your daily schedule to work on yourself.
Here is a list of sixteen tasks that you can adapt into your daily routine that will help you heal and be one with yourself.
- Find somewhere quiet and meditate as needed.
- Avoid triggers.
- Take time to yourself, away from others.
- Get a full night’s sleep regularly.
- Check in with yourself about how happy you are.
- Don’t feel guilty turning down invitations or cancelling plans to reorient yourself.
- Write down a list of things you are thankful for.
- Read inspiring quotes.
- Spend time outside.
- Ask for help if you need it.
- Do not force yourself to do anything you don’t want to do.
- Exercise.
- Do something that inspires and motivates you.
- Make future plans for a trip or event you’re excited about.
- Spend time with a close friend or family member.
- Remember that self-care is not optional, it’s essential.
