Written by Gina Tripodo, LCSW, Usui Reiki Master & Hannibal Miles, ND, MS, CNS
2020 has thrown us through loops that although are within the norm of human experience, they have been made more challenging by the compounding nature of several co-occurring experiences. Just to name a few-- A global pandemic, natural disasters, social unrest, an unstable economy, and a heated presidential election. All of these emotionally rigorous experiences that are happening at once is sure to amplify the stress levels of most people.
To me, self-care is the act of balancing oneself in relation to navigating the demands of being alive. I think self-care is an important aspect of taking care of ourselves on any given day but I know that I am not alone in thinking more and more about the importance of self-care over this past year. As a therapist, I'd like to share some aspects of self-care that I've noticed from the work I've done personally and professionally with clients.
If self-care is an act of balancing oneself in relation to navigating the demands of being alive then aspects of self-awareness and commitment to oneself are inherent. Self-care is a lifestyle that asks you to commit to viewing yourself honestly in relation to the events that are happening all around you and on all levels: personally, in your community, in society and in the world. That includes how these events are impacting you and to what degree. Personal accountability and honesty with yourself is going to be foundational in your commitment to this process. If you are unaware of what is happening to you how can you intervene to change it?
If self-care is an act of balancing oneself in relation to navigating the demands of being alive then aspects of self-awareness and commitment to oneself are inherent.
Self-care also requires the awareness of all of our basic senses plus the use of our intuition or inner-knowing. These elements of ourselves serve as indicators that it is time to do something to take care of our body, mind and spirit. Ironically, these elements can also help us to do self-care work! Before we get into our 21 strategies I want to preface you with some very important tips to keep in mind as you read:
- It’s never too late to adopt a self-care lifestyle.
- Be patient and tolerant with yourself on the journey.
- Set boundaries to protect your self-care practices. Don’t allow yourself to feel inappropriate guilt over those boundaries.
- Self-care is a commitment to self-love; to agree and personally promise that you will take the best care of yourself as possible.
- Use your personal time off from work.
- Remember to give yourself plenty of time to veg out and rest if that is what your body is asking you for.
- Nobody can take better care of you then you can for yourself.
- Routinely engaging in self-care activities to prevent yourself from feeling unwell or out of balance does not mean that you will avoid this feeling and state indefinitely. You can expect this and thank yourself for acknowledging the moments of not feeling well as this is your notification to do some self-care.
Ok, now let's get into it. Below is a guide referencing ways to act out of self-care for our body, mind and spirit. This list is not comprehensive but will help you identify how you might be able to bring yourself into a healthier balance as life is navigated.
Mind:
1. Check your perception. This is probably the most powerful aspect of self-care in my opinion- then again, I am a therapist. Our entire realities are shifted by the ways we choose to look at the situations around us and how we make sense of why they are happening. What color is the tint of your glasses? Is it time for a new prescription?
Since this is a broad and abstract concept I will offer you some ways of understanding what some of your perceptions are and pay attention to what resonates with you:
- Are you a victim of your circumstances?
- Do you look at challenging situations as gifts to help you learn and grow?
- What aspects of life do you see yourself in power/control over and what aspects do you feel powerless over?
Understand that you can very much change your reality when you change the way you perceive yourself in relation to these concepts.
2. Positive self-talk.
Do you speak kindly to yourself? Instead of telling yourself you are stupid after you make a mistake, tell yourself you are human and accept and forgive yourself.
3. Meditate. Many forms of meditation are aimed to help a person gain control over their overloaded mind machine. Even though our minds are constantly on overload, we can learn to slow them down or carve out parts of time when we are more in control over our mind through meditative practices. There is a misconception that this means we have to sit in a quiet and dark room and completely clear our minds. When in fact, meditation can come in many forms and we can consider success when we are able to control and reduce the amount of intrusive thoughts that have nothing to do with this moment we are living in right now.
There are various types of meditations that exist. You can sit with yourself and focus all of your attention on your breath. You can engage in a guided meditation where you focus fully on another person's voice and guidance. You can engage in a sound meditation in which you focus on different sounds and instruments. Think about meditation outside of the box as well. For artists, creating art is meditation- for musicians, it's creating music, for dancers, it's dancing. You might already have an activity that is an ‘unconventional’ form of meditation but that works for you.
4. Be Grateful. Don't underestimate the benefit of counting your blessings. Even in the darkest days, there is plenty of light around if you will allow yourself to find it. A little more on this later.
5. Create positive feelings. Take time to reflect on a positive emotion such as hope, joy, or mirth. Reflect and think to times when you have felt this way or imagine yourself in situations where you would feel this way. You might just find yourself starting to feel those positive emotions. Even if just for a moment, it is an act of self-care to intentionally shift your emotional state to something beneficial and positive.
6. Take time to stop and smell the literal and figurative roses. Make an effort to notice your senses during daily activities. With your intention you can make any day-to-day activity mindful. Mindful meaning staying in the here and now. Take a mindful shower or eat a mindful meal. Be present and notice each of your senses involved in that experience.
Body:
7. Medical Check-Ups. Do you see your dentist twice a year for that teeth cleaning? Do you have that thing that you need to get checked out? Don't underestimate the importance of visiting the doctor as a form of physical self-care.
8. Diet. Believe it or not, there are still many healthcare professionals that believe that what you eat plays no role in your health. The phrase you are what you eat will never be outdated. Food that is organically produced, not genetically modified, and raised humanely nourishes your mind, body, and spirit. You’d be surprised how quickly a change in diet will have you feeling more mentally and physically refreshed. Here are some simple but key changes you can make right now.
Buy organic and non-GMO. Yes, this can be a bit more pricey but remember we should be putting the utmost importance into our self-care routine. Organic foods are known to have a substantial amount of increased vitamins and minerals as opposed to conventional items and they are devoid of toxic chemicals such as glyphosate (Roundup). These toxic chemicals are known to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) and/or interfere with your body’s immune system. This toxic burden plays a role in many acute and chronic diseases. You’d also be surprised to learn about how many people are mineral and vitamin deficient because of poor farming practices in conventionally grown foods. Some illnesses stem from this deficiency alone.
Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. This may sound elementary but it’s benefits go a LONG way. Have you ever heard of the saying, “Eat the Rainbow?” The colors of many fruits and vegetables signify different compounds called phytochemicals which play an important role in many metabolic and functional processes of the body.
Don’t overeat. Digestion is a pretty significant process to the body in that it shunts blood away from the extremities and shifts it’s gears to focus on that process. When we consistently overeat the body has to store a lot of excess, and this storage is what leads to insulin resistance, blood sugar issues, and can lead to the path of chronic disease. One tip that we can all adopt is to stop eating before bedtime. You should have your last snack at least 2-3 hours before bedtime so that your body can concentrate on repair and healing during sleep as opposed to digesting food.
Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars. For some this is easier said than done, especially with the advent and persistence of the western diet. These food items contain little to no nutritional value other than quick energy. The problem is that the refinement process strips the natural foods of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals required to properly and safely metabolize these items when eaten. On top of that, we eat these foods in copious amounts. The FDA still recommends 6-11 servings of carbohydrates which has been the foundation to diabetes and increased cardiovascular disease. Stick to complex carbohydrates and smaller serving sizes around 3-4 or even less. The majority of your complex carbohydrates should come from fruits and vegetables, and the occasional rice and bread products.
Eat healthy fats. It has long been disproven that fats are what lead to increased cardiovascular risk and high cholesterol levels. Healthier fats, found in nuts, fish, and avocados, have anti-inflammatory effects on the body and help regulate cholesterol levels in the healthy range. EPA and DHA, better known as Omega3 fatty acids are beneficial for both brain and heart health.
Hydration. You may have heard the old adage of “you should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day or 64 oz.” A better rule to go by is half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should aim for 75oz of water per day. Remember though! Coffee and soda don’t count! Drinks that contain caffeine actually act as a diuretic, meaning it takes water away from the body. So, don’t count this toward your total!
9. Sleep. One of the key drivers to poor mental and physical health is lack of sleep. Sleep allows your body to restore and repair its internal mechanisms in order to be more efficient for the day ahead. Many people have trouble falling asleep due to bad bedtime habits alone. You should prepare an environment for proper sleep and have a routine you stick to so your body knows that it is time to sleep.
Turn off all electronics at least 30 min before bed time. Light and even more specifically blue light interferes with the production of melatonin, the hormone that is created at night to aid in sleep.
Get blackout curtains or an eye mask. This ensures that no outside light will prevent you from falling asleep, especially those sensitive to streetlights peeking in your room.
End your night time routine with gratitude. Ending your day on a positive note and going to sleep with the feeling of gratitude allows you to cement that feeling into your subconscious into the day ahead. The mind is in a lower frequency wavelength allowing for deeper imprinting into the subconscious mind so use this time wisely to release all of the tension and anxiety of the day. The more you do this the easier it will become. You will also allow yourself to remain in a deeper state of sleep and keep night time waking to a minimum.
Rest up. Ensure that you will be getting adequate hours for a restful sleep (7-8 hours a night).
10. Exercise. We all have different availability of time and varying comfort levels when it comes to exercising. If you are new to the idea, I encourage you to consider that you can exercise at home. You can find plenty of videos and programs online designed to be used in the comfort of your own living space. Exercise will give you a burst of endorphins that will help you to automatically relieve stress.
11. Stretch. If exercising seems like too much, I encourage you to think about the use of stretching as a mode of exercise. You might be surprised how great your body feels after you spend 5 minutes stretching.
12. Body Work. You can take care of your body through the use of physical intervention including: massages, Reflexology, Chiropractic work, or Acupuncture work.
13. Energy Body Work. Reiki is becoming more popular as a form of self-care and healing. As a Reiki Master, I would encourage you to schedule a session and make a judgement for yourself after the experience. Though Reiki healing experiences can vary depending on the individual's need for healing, you will surely have the opportunity to melt energetic stress right off of you. Most of my Reiki patients feel extremely relaxed after a session as if somebody hit their reset button. I like to say that this is the way we should be feeling regularly.
14. Take a Bath. My favorite is when I add a bath bomb or some Epsom Salts with Essential Oils to a hot tub. It might seem like more work than a shower but you might find yourself feeling more relaxed if you chose to substitute a bath over a shower. I understand that not everybody has this luxury but if you do and you haven't used the resource you have in your bathroom, keep this in mind as an option.
Spirit:
15. External boosts. Sometimes, external aesthetics can alter the way we feel inside.
Buy a new piece of clothing. Our clothing is an extension of ourselves and sometimes buying a new shirt or pair of pants helps us to feel an increase of internal satisfaction that in turn, radiates outwards. This also includes getting a new pair of shoes, or buying a new accessory such as a wallet.
Is it time to change the style of your hair and get a new cut?
Season’s cleanings. Our living environment is a reflection of our internal world, so is it messy and chaotic or organized and spotless? They do say that cleanliness is next to Godliness and it sure does feel quite nice after our space is finished being cleaned.
16. Find your passion. Passions are the strongest indicators of our truest identities. Our passions can be identified through what makes us feel most alive. What sets your spirit on fire?
17. Play that good music. Make a playlist of go-to feel good songs that you know will always raise your inner vibration to some positive emotional states. Whether it's Earth, Wind & Fire or House music. Also if you feel like singing or dancing, do it like nobody's watching!
18. Connect with the elements. Have a campfire, or go near a body of water. Feel the ground under your feet and the wind on your skin.
19. Listen to a chirp. Taking a minute and listening to the sound of the birds or crickets chirping. It’s such a simple ambient noise that we often don’t pay enough attention to.
20. Garden. I don’t just mean outside plants, but also inside ones. Bad at taking care of plants? Try asking your local nursery for ‘hard to kill’ plants, and just pay attention to their lighting needs when picking one out. Seeing living greens and the colors of the rainbow around you just does something special for our spirit.
21. Start that new hobby. It’s never too late to start that new hobby you’ve had in mind for maybe years. It’s also not too late to reconnect with that old hobby that you use to engage with regularly.
Many blessings on your path to self-care!
More about the authors:
Dr. Miles specializes in detox, weight loss, longevity, cancer prevention and treatment. He uses an integrative and holistic approach in treating these and many other ailments including high cholesterol, hypertension, Type II diabetes, allergies, gastrointestinal issues, and autoimmunity. By employing an integrative and holistic approach involving detox, diet/nutrition, and many different modalities, Dr. Miles is able to get to the root cause of illness in order to elevate health and well-being.
Visit his website here: https://www.drhannibalmiles.com/
Gina Tripodo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York State. Gina has spent years working with children, adolescents and adults to improve the relationships with themselves and improve their own perceived quality of life. Additionally, Gina has been an Usui Reiki practitioner since 2011 with a certification as a Reiki Master and has spent a week training with Dr. Brian Weiss in 2019 to become a Past Life Regressionist. Traditional evidence-based practices are utilized with the option of incorporating additional spiritual supports.
Learn more: https://www.wavesofchangetherapy.com/
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