“I have the courage to be the happiest and healthiest version of myself.” – Madi Baulch
As we are living in an uncertain time right now, it is important to protect our energy and take care of our mental, spiritual, and emotional health.
It is very easy to be overwhelmed by everything that is happening around us, and that’s normal. We are humans with emotions.
But, what would it benefit to gain the whole world, but lose your soul? So, you need to consider your peace of mind, health, and your emotions and take care of yourself.
Today, we are going to talk about the unselfish act of self-care. The truth is, social media platforms like Instagram have taken the word “self-care” and make you believe that in order to take care of yourself you need to invest hundreds of dollars in the best skin care products, bath salts, and so on…
The word “self-care” has lost its true meaning. You do not need to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take care of yourself.
So, what is self-care anyway? Why should you take care of yourself? How can you take care of yourself, and what benefits does it bring to your life?
How to take care of yourself mentally?
“Let your addiction for growth be stronger than your addiction for comfort.” – Unknown
Did you know that you have the power to create the life that you deserve?
The life we live in its entirety is composed of transitions. Being scared of such transitions is exactly what will make us hesitate to go for the greatest things that God has planned for us in the first place.
So my question to you is, how are you taking care of yourself mentally? What is it that you feed your mind with, do you have a growth or a fixed mindset?
Without further ado, I will go through 3 ways to take care of yourself and how this can bring instant results.
Here are 3 ways that you can take care of yourself mentally:
1. Stop worrying so much
Yes, you read that right! One of the common things that take away our peace is worrying. I know this is easier said than done, but what benefit has worrying brought to your life? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
Exactly, so please do yourself a favor. Every time you want to worry, think about the lion king’s phrase: “Hakuna Matata” (no worries/trouble).
Instead of worrying, think about what you can do to make the situation better. And if you cannot do anything, just let it be! For after every rain there will come sunshine!
2. Let go of the fear that’s holding you back
Many times we decide to remain in the exact position because of fear or uncertainty, or just because of our comfort zones.
One of the bravest decisions I made this year was quitting my job. And even so, before sending my resignation letter the anxiety and fear definitely tried to hold me back.
I knew that this was the best decision for me in order to create the life that I want.
But because staying at that workplace was a huge part of my comfort zone, I was so afraid to take that decision.
I mean, who is crazy enough to resign from their job during the uncertainty the world is facing right now? Me!
Let my story encourage you to take that decision that you know you need to take to find internal peace.
Fear, in the long run, will only result in unhappiness, fatigue, hopelessness, and stress. You certainly do not want that for your life.
3. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world
One of the things that creates anxiety and stress is trying to fit in into the “cosmetic” world that we are living in.
Our society promotes the exact opposite of what is really beneficial to us.
If I hop right now to Instagram and search “#self-care”, I will get all these products that they recommend for self-care.
I mean, sure, those products are great, but does it really benefit me to consider that product self-care?
So, instead we have to be willing to be transformed by the way we think and see life.
If you think that you are a nobody, that is exactly what will happen to you, so focus your mind to see how much you are improving as a person and you will see how the magic will start to happen.
How can you take care of yourself emotionally?
“Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first.’ It means ‘me, too.”
Here are 5 ways to recognize that you’re not taking care of yourself emotionally:
- You try to please everyone
- You are full of resentment
- You don’t cry enough
- You prefer to go through your struggles alone
- You don’t accept that you need healing
How can you work to be emotionally stable?
Here are 3 ways:
1. Laugh more
A joyful heart is good medicine.
I’m not telling you to go around and start laughing for no reason. But every time you get a chance to laugh, laugh. It’s the best medicine that can heal the heart!
Find things that will make you laugh and start wearing that beautiful smile of yours more.
2. Find healing and move forward
Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. In fact, the damage is there to remind you how strong you are.
But, it is important to accept that you’re hurting. It’s the only way to heal and move forward.
See every difficulty as a lesson that we need to learn and grow. Because now you’re stronger, wiser, and you made it!
3. You are not a superhero, it’s okay to talk to someone
Even for me, this was a hard thing to do. As a girl who is always thinking I can fix everything on myself, it is hard to sit down and talk about the things that were bothering me.
The benefits of expressing yourself to someone are:
- You are conquering your fears and soothing your anxiety
- You are relieving yourself from stress
- You will find freedom
- You will find peace in knowing that you are being understood
Holding onto things will not benefit you in the long run. Eventually, your emotional pain will manifest physically. You will find yourself struggling with health issues. And the reason being is because you’ve been holding too much inside.
How can you take care of yourself spiritually?
Self-care gives us time to recharge our batteries and rebuild strength for another day. It gives us a new perspective on anything we may face during the day.
Life is just better when we focus on ourselves in an unselfish way by practicing self-care. And as you know our lives are divided into three parts: flesh (body), soul, and spirit. And therefore when we are on the road to self-care it’s important to practice spiritual self-care as well.
Here are three ways to practice spiritual self-care:
1. Love others just as you love yourself
As the world continues to go by, love is slowly vanishing. People are becoming more egocentric and nobody really cares anymore. So it’s important to remain of character and offer your neighbor a helping hand when he needs it.
2. Pray and Meditate
To develop a good spiritual and balanced life, we need to pray. Prayer will change everything! Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Try to have an active prayer life. Dedicate 5 minutes each morning and you will start to see changes.
3. Read more
Start by reading at least one personal development book per month. Reading will strengthen your brain. Knowledge will give you the power to know the difference between right and wrong. In the world that we are living today it’s important to do our own research to know where we stand as human beings.
3 books that I would like to recommend are:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- The Bible
- You’re a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
Conclusion
It is very important to work on ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. How do we do this? By taking care of ourselves properly. Your peace of mind is very important. So, work on becoming the best version you can be.
