Taking Care of You

As women, we like to think we can do it all, be it all and have it all.  I wonder sometimes, if perhaps we secretly wish the culture would cut us some slack?  Do you sometimes look at other women who have no problem giving themselves permission to decompress and feel...well, jealous?

We become so good at taking care of the world around us and those people we love and even those we don't even know, that we forget to take care of ourselves.  Women intuitively spend more time look 'out' rather than looking 'in'.

No matter how far you've strayed from taking care of yourself, you can start today with one small thing and just maybe, you will see what a difference one small thing can make.  If you aren't very good at self care, you may not even know where to start.

The Blissful Mind, suggests that there are 5 dimensions to self care.  They are Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual, Social and Emotional.  Let's talk about what each one of these means.

Physical: These are the physical things we do; habits we have for good or for bad.  It includes sleeping patterns diet and exercise, medical check-ups, and sexual health.  These are the important things that are so easy, maybe too easy to skip out on.  We think we can make up for last sleep when the weekend arrives but the weekend comes and goes and the sleep deficit grows.

Intellectual: These are your personal growth items like schooling, education, continued learning, and even having a good and positive outlook on life.  Keeping you mind busy and engaged is something most of us do anyways.  I think the difference is, focusing on the things that you love or have always wanted to learn.  Often, that little evil, inner critic we all have convinces us that we are too old, too dumb, too something to learn new things.

Spiritual: What are the beliefs and values that keep your life on track? What nourishes your soul?  Remember there is a huge difference between religious and spiritual.  For many, their self care is shown when attending a religious service that supports their spirit.

Social: What does your network of supporters look like.Social self care is a look at who your friends are.  Who has your back?  Who can you count on to listen to you?  It's important to connect with people outside of social media.  We all need to feel like we have a place to belong, a place to find acceptance.

Emotional: This one may be the most difficult to do.  How do you cope from day to day? How do you cultivate kindness, empathy, compassion, love for yourself and others?

If you are new to self care, choose one area to work on for a few days.  It doesn't have to cost money, or cost you time.  Just a few minutes of focus intention can offer a huge dividend for yourself.  It's not selfish or egotistical, it's healthy to care for you!