Self-Care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you – Katie Reeds
Do you ever forget to take care of yourself? I know. You’re busy, looking after everyone else and finding the time to take proper care of yourself can be hard. But if you don’t, it won’t be long before you’re exhausted and finding it hard to care about anything or anyone. Or worse left feeling burnt out and feeling resentful or frustrated with loved ones or worse yourself?
Let’s be honest sometimes weeks can be crazy and it’s not until we stop and pause or we are forced to stop with illness or injury that we realise how much we need self-care. I had to learn the hard way about this lesson when I became burnt out, not once but three times.
How do you know it’s time for self-care?
When you find yourself feeling;
- Overwhelmed
- Your brain won’t switch off
- You find yourself cancelling plans
- Aches and pains in your body
If you find yourself nodding along to this, then consider this a gentle nudge. Trust me when I say a gentle nudge is better than hitting rock bottom and depleting all of your energy. It’s easier to be pro-active with self-care before you need it rather than when you are in the midst of burnout or depression and you have nothing left in the tank to give to yourself.
That’s why I wank on about self-care on a regular basis, because I have been at rock bottom and it’s not a good place to be. Which is why I want to help you avoid having to find out for yourself the hard way like I did.
When I didn’t practice self-care;
- I ended up burn out
- I would get sick every time I went on annual leave
- My boundaries were non existent
Think of self-care as your opportunity to replenish yourself so you don’t run on empty and deplete yourself of energy.
Self-care is your opportunity to nourish your body, mind and spiritual health. The things that make us feel good about ourselves so that we can show up as the best version of ourselves. Not the surface level stuff we see on television or in magazines telling us to pamper ourselves.
When I incorporate self-care into my life
- Makes me happier
- Builds resilience
- Less overwhelm
- Restores and sustains your health and well-being
- I am a better version of myself
Here are three tips you can consider when you want to begin your self-care journey
1. Identify what self-care means to you
Self-care is individual to all of us. What works for me will look and feel different for you. There is no right or wrong to self-care. Write a list of what self-care means to you and why you want to implement self-care into your life.
2. How often do you want to dedicate to self-care?
Be realistic about this. Self-care shouldn’t feel like a “should do”. Think about how often and how long you will spend on self-care. I sprinkle elements of self-care throughout the week. That might not work for you. You don’t have to spend all day doing self-care either. Schedule self-care in like a regular appointment, using your phone, calendar or hard copy diary. Make sure you keep the appointment. We need to start prioritising our self-care and not put it at the bottom of our to do list
3. What activities will you chose?
Whatever you choose enjoy it – be all in. It’s often the small things we do for ourselves everyday have the biggest impact. If self-care becomes a chore – change it up. Your activities can vary and change as you do. If you are stuck for ideas check out my Nourish Me Planner, it has some ideas that you can consider. Or perhaps write a list of activities that you love doing but have found you have been putting aside.
Self-care is;
- not selfish
- essential in order to give back to others we need to fill our own cup.
- individual what appeals to me may not to you – create what works for you.
- Doesn’t have to take all day
- Is more than bubble baths and spa days.
If you would like to start introducing the self-care into your life. Download the Nourish Me Planner- Planning to care for yourself here and begin your self-care journey today.
This guide will help you Identify;
- What self means to you.
- How often you would like to incorporate self-care into your life.
- What activities light you up.
- Provides ideas for self-care.
And even has planner guides you can use, to plan out your self-care. If you get stuck or need some help around self-care, feel free to send me a message and lets chat.