Early on at the beginning of each year, I find myself in purge mode. I go through cabinets, closets, and drawers. This annual ritual is because I function better, and lighter without a bunch of clutter. There’s a mental adjustment for me and an energetic release with the stuff that I can let go of. My general rule is if I haven’t used it in two years or It’s not a family heirloom then it’s most likely something I can live without and I feel okay with forfeiting it in exchange for the sense of freedom in my organization. The same is true for my self-care habits and practices which are always evolving. I like to check in with myself to become clear on what and where I may need adjustment. After all, how we spend our time should have some value right? Rather than creating goals with my self-care choices, I try to consider my habits instead and which ones are serving and then back to the universe with those that are not.
You’ll hear me over and over again expressing self-care as caring for the sum of all parts. As our care is ever-evolving it’s not a bad idea to do a regular check-in and ask yourself what is it that you need, and what’s working and not working for you. Let’s peek at what we mean by self-care. Our care is important and it plays a crucial role in maintaining overall well-being and a balance in life. It is finding a balance in our emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical care. That may sound like a lot but in reality, it’s a sum of small acts over time that add up to a large benefit. Here are some key reasons why our self-care is important.
Physical Health: Taking good care of your physical health is a fundamental aspect of care. What am I doing to feel my best each day, increase energy levels, and promote longevity? It’s easy to be high vibing when we feel good and the opposite is true when we’re struggling with dis-ease. Emotions such as joy, compassion, and inner ease, are measured at a higher vibrational frequency. When we’re run down, or stressed it’s hard to hold those emotions. By default, we find ourselves in the lower vibrational frequencies and our bodies have less defense in the lower frequencies.
Mental Health: Mental self-care is vital for maintaining good mental health. It allows you to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and improve your overall mood. Who doesn’t want to experience life in a better mood?
Emotional Health: Emotional self-care involves recognizing and honoring your emotional needs. It allows you to express your feelings, seek support when necessary, and engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.
Spiritual Health: Spiritual self-care is caring for our spirit and often involves a higher self-awareness and reflection leading us to introspection for a greater understanding of one’s values and beliefs. Caring for our spirit can foster a sense of connection to something greater than oneself, whether it's a community, nature, the universe, or a higher power which helps us to not feel isolated or alone.
How do I level up my self-care? Where can I improve or gain strength or knowledge around better care? Good care starts by asking yourself who do I want to be? Am I mostly balanced in my care? Does it even matter to me if I take good care? Do I see value in my care? Next, how do I want to feel? Do I like experiencing stress and dread most days? Do I enjoy living with low energy? Do I like worrying about how to show up for my loved ones? How do I Identify? If it’s not who you want to be then you can level up your self-care and it doesn’t have to require a load of money and strict requirements. Small habits compound over time, leading to significant outcomes. A tiny change today can result in a much different trajectory over months and years. Once it becomes obvious where it is you want to give some attention you make easy, attractive, doable, satisfying small changes. Big changes come from small decisions.
When considering each of the previously listed areas of care ask yourself, is there one small habit that I can add to each of those categories to level up my self-care? Without thinking in terms of an end goal, consider what small doable things can I add to my care that over time will have a compound effect.
The compound effect of self-care is a powerful principle, illustrating how small, regular actions can lead to profound and lasting benefits for overall health and happiness. Let’s face it, we are a society of “quick fixes”. When something’s broken we want a quick fix and sometimes that is what’s called for but what if better maintenance gets longer wear and better performance from our machine? Just like caring for our cars, our homes, and our processions with balanced self-care, we are accumulatively taking care of our most precious possessions. This approach encourages sustainability, making self-care a viable and integral part of daily life.
Be Well,
Donna XO
