Self-Care Sunday, supercharge your mind, body, and soul

During highly uncertain and stressful times filled with anxiety and the fear of the unknown, a little self-care goes a really long way.

Now more than ever we need to pay special attention to self-care and treat it with the regard and respect that it deserves!

From improving our mental health and creating a positive outlook to improving our physical health and immunity, the right kind of self-care nourishes not just our body but also our mind and soul.

Self-care is not a luxury but a necessity!

And self-care is much much (much) deeper than skin…

PRO TIP to live your best life, listen to yourself (not to others) and give your body, mind, and soul what it needs, some much-needed self-love and self-care!

Photo Credits: Four Seasons Seattle / Creative Direction: Crystal Southcote / Photographer: Nick Southcote

Self-care is one of the most important yet the most neglected aspects of our lives!

Simply because who has the time for that!? Right?

WRONG!

It is not that we do not have time for self-care, but it is because it is at the bottom of our list of priorities…

More often than not we feel guilty for taking the time to do anything for ourselves…

“Self-care is not selfish, you cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

Or because most assume that self-care is expensive, right?

WRONG AGAIN!

Self-care is much more than making a spa appointment,

Self-care is much more than slathering your face with a mud mask,

Self-care is much more than stuffing your face with your favorite dessert,

Self-care is much more than taking a bubble bath with a glass of wine in hand,

And self-care is definitely much much more than Netflix and Chill all weekend long…

Sure, these are all forms of self-care, and much-needed too, but that is not all there is to self-care…

While putting on a face mask or a bubble bath are great ways to pamper yourself, and they might help take your mind off of the most stressful circumstances for the moment (or maybe even a day or two), the underlying emotions aren’t going to simply go away unless you give ‘em real issues the real airtime they require.

Self-care is deeper than the skin, and it is much more important to nurture your mind and soul…

Especially now, so how do you practice self-care for the mind, body, and soul during the coronavirus pandemic?

11 WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE FOR THE

MIND, BODY & SOUL

Self-care is checking in with yourself and your feelings, and becoming more aware of your emotions and your thinking patterns. First, connect with your inner self to better connect with the outer world around you.

1. Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Meditate for at least 10 minutes a day. Ideally, after you wake up in the morning and before going to bed at night. If you are able to meditate a few times during the day (even if only for 3-5 minutes) then that is even better.

My favorite meditation is from Jay Shetty (he is currently doing a live meditation for 20 days), or some of my favorite meditation apps are Calm and Headspace.

2. Journal

Simply brain dump all your thoughts, feelings, all the to-dos, causes for your stress and anxiety, etc on paper. What you write does not have to make any sense at all, but this is just an exercise to get everything off your chest.

Many times, things become more clear to you as you write them down and you will be surprised that they seem so trivial once on paper, and oftentimes you will even find solutions to things that have been bothering you.

3. Practice Gratitude

No matter who we are, and no matter what our circumstances, we all have many blessings in life that we should be grateful for (I mean, not everyone has a roof over their head and can afford 3 meals a day).

So write those down in a gratitude journal. Counting our blessings helps to put things in perspective.

4. Digital Detox

Completely unplug for a few hours (or even a few days if possible). Disconnect from the social media world and the internet and enjoy some peace and quiet or indulge in fun offline activities.

Use this time to also connect with others in the real world. Pick up your phone and make that call to a friend you have been meaning to talk to for a while now.

5. Use Positive Affirmations

Positive statements help you overcome your limiting beliefs and negative thoughts. When you believe in something (good or bad) and repeatedly say it, it is bound to happen. So feed your mind only the good and manifest your thoughts, wishes, and dreams.

Examples of effective positive affirmations:

“You’ve slayed bigger dragons than this one.”

“Where you look is where you go.”

“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and think of what could go right”.

“Chin up princess or the crown slips”.

6. APPRECIATE YOURSELF

Note down things you like and admire about yourself and write it on the mirror or take a print out and stick it on your fridge or the wall.

When you start to think about your weaknesses or beat yourself up about something, look at these love notes from you to you, these will serve as a reminder for all the things you are outstanding at!

7. SEEK/SEND POSITIVE ENERGY/FEEDBACK

Reach out to your besties and have them remind you how amazing you are. Ask them to say what they love and admire about you.

This type of reassurance and hearing someone say good things about us boosts our confidence and self-esteem.

And also just randomly send positive messages to your friends. Making someone else feel good about themselves also makes you feel good about ourselves.

8. READ SOMETHING INSPIRING

Disconnect from the outer world, go to your favorite corner in the house and read something that inspires and motivates you. It could be an article, a book or even a few quotes to help lift your spirits up.

All of this helps guide your emotions and feelings in a positive light.

Here is a list of some inspiring quotes and some of my favorite books.

9. DO SOMETHING CREATIVE

Get those creative juices flowing and break out of the rut.

Draw, color, paint, choreograph a dance, try a new recipe but add your own twist to it, or maybe even learn something new.

When you feel productive you will also feel positive. Tips to stay productive during anxious times.

10. Seek help from a therapist/counselor

And if none of the above helps then please please (please) see a therapist or a counselor.

There is no shame in that! When you won’t think twice before going to see a doctor about your physical health then why would you hesitate when you need help with your mental health?

11. REST, RELAX, REJUVENATE

Lastly, just like self-care itself, resting and rejuvenating too looks different to different people – pampering yourself (as mentioned above), getting a workout in, listening to music, spending time in the kitchen cooking or baking (trust me, it is therapeutic), binge-watching your favorite show, playing board games, etc.

So plan and give yourself that downtime to recharge!

Experiment with the above ideas to understand what kinds of self-care resonates the most with your mind, body, and soul.

Because what might be self-care to me might not be self-care to you just like how a certain dish or a certain movie won’t be everyone’s favorite. But you will never know until you give everything a try and see what works best for you.

So give yourself every ounce of LOVE and ATTENTION that you rightfully deserve, and nourish our mind, body, and soul…

Feed positivity and good thoughts to your mind to feed your soul!

“SHE MADE A PROMISE TO HERSELF TO HOLD HER OWN WELL-BEING SACRED.”

xoxo,

Kusum

Self-Care Sunday, supercharge your mind, body, and soul

During highly uncertain and stressful times filled with anxiety and the fear of the unknown, a little self-care goes a really long way.

Now more than ever we need to pay special attention to self-care and treat it with the regard and respect that it deserves!