Self care is the best care! | Life in the Pink

In this busy, exhilarating, non stop world we sometimes only dream, wish, hope and pray about taking time out for self care, rather than actually seeing it come to fruition.

We set New Year’s intentions, we talk to friends about our goals, we read another book on changing our lives, we pray to do better tomorrow and dream of feeling like a better version of ourselves.

Yet, often still nothing changes!

Instead, mostly we keep giving in to our busy lives, we live the type A personality traits, never saying no, people pleasing and adding a zillion and one things to out to do lists every day. We wake up exhausted, survive through the day and look forward to bedtime, forgetting the joys and to just BE and live our life in between the pandemonium.

Disease and prevention

Simultaneously we decimate our adrenals and develop disease. The way we eat and the diets we live by cause chaos to our bodies and make them work tirelessly at keeping us healthy.

I believe the body has the ability to heal itself, but we have to give it the right environment to do so. Unfortunately chocolate, chips, processed foods and coffee do not create the healing environment our body so desperately seeks.

So many of us live so far removed from our body and are surprised when disease develops. We are more interested in eating the foods that produce a taste sensation that lasts a nanosecond rather than the foods that nourish and nurture us leading our bodies to strength and inner health.

The stress mountain

We often stand facing our mountain of stress with no way over it and no way around it and often we fall to the ground flailing around exhausted and totally burnt out. Our bodies can no longer cope with the stress the bad diets and the environmental toxins,

This is where it seems impossible, not knowing what to do next to overcome the exhaustion, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, disease and all the other issue stress creates has created in our lives, our bodies and our hearts because we have ignored self care.

We are not a machine that will just keep going if we do not invest some time and energy into looking after ourselves.

Think about all your electrical equipment without care and servicing you are suddenly throwing it in the bin and going to the closest electrical store to buy another one and forking out the extra for the extended warranty hoping to get the best out of the equipment knowing you will probably not do the required servicing.

Your body is your vessel that will carry your spiritual and physical self through its life and if you wish to go through your life feeling awake, refreshed, healthy and looking forward to longevity now may be the time to look inwards and see just how you really treat yourself.

Time poor

“I don’t have time for self care” people say over and over. However, reaching burnout and halting your life for months or maybe years to overcome health issues, being prescribed medication on top of medications may be for some so easily avoided if we honour and care for ourselves up front and prevent illness and more serious disease that stress and ignoring ourselves causes.

Medications can be reduced or eliminated if we seek the root causes of our ailments and address them rather than just mask the illness and leave the root cause to cause more damage. Not always but sometimes! Prevention can also be your friend to avoid medications and aches and pains before they arise.

Our physical, emotions, mental and spiritual selves all deserve to be treated with respect and love.

At some point it’s wise to say “STOP”

Allow yourself to redesign and redecorate from the inside out. Give permission for the body to heal, work as an integrated unit and become the healthier version of yourself that is waiting for you to save them.

Self ratings

For the questions below rate yourself from 1 – 10, 10 being to best to see if you could take some time in your life for a little more self care?

1. Do you feel refreshed on waking?

2. Do you have a mind that is clear and sharp?

3. Do you need coffee, cigarettes, drugs or alcohol to get through the day?

4. Do you dream about going back to bed early in the day?

5. Do you believe you can fulfil your dreams and your purpose?

6. Do you take time out each day just for yourself?

7. Do you acknowledge half the things on your to do list could wait?

8. Do you spend time each day with your loved ones and just laugh?

9. Do you cook healthy home cooked meals that nourish your body?

10. Do you move your body every day?

11. Do you have a healthy weight?

12. Do you feel overwhelm or stress?

13. Do you suffer anxiety or depression?

14. Do you feel calm?

15. Do you honour your values and beliefs?

16. Do you get a good night sleep every night?

17. Do you look forward to your daily tasks or job?

18. Do you appreciate your life every day showing gratitude for just being alive?

19. Do you enjoy your life?

20. Do you have a support network?

There are no right or wrong answers just ones that will draw some more awareness to your own situation with the hope even a small change can be made.

Recently turning 50, my health and wellbeing has become more of a priority for me. Hitting 50 had made me think about being 60 and when I turn 60 I still want to be fit and healthy. Also losing my Dad last year made me think a lot more about health, lifestyle and the end of our lives.

What we do now will dictate what happens to our bodies in 10 years. It is important to make the small changes now to ensure you get what you want in 10 years rather than looking back with regret.

My tips!

1. Ask your body what it needs and listen, it knows and it will respond with aches, pains, digestive and other issues if you are not treating it as it wishes to be treated.

2. Eat well and eat mindfully, stop and eat especially at lunch on the job. Choose healthy fruit, vegetables and animal produce, eat for energy and love rather than taste and addiction.

3. Spend time with loved ones, bring out the laughter, celebrate the milestones, just be around the ones you love and feel the joy.

4. Epsom salt baths, allow your body to relax in the bathtub and give permission for the day to float away while you spend time in the moment in the bath. You will not believe how well you sleep after am Epsom soak. Plus it has many more benefits.

5. Meditation provides an opportunity to quiet the mind, find the stillness and awaken to your true nature that is buried deep below under the bedlam.

6. Walk the dog or the children or just walk by yourself. Enjoy nature and smile at the trees especially when they are gifting you their beautiful flowers or blossoms that are on display

7. Hydrate with plenty of water, keep your brain alert and your body nourished.

8. Problem solve any illness, had a diagnosis, read all you can about it and look for natural alternatives. Ask and allow the body to heal, do whatever is necessary rather than solely relying on medication if you possibly can.

9. Sleep soundly like a baby, it promotes health and healing.

10. Find your purpose and live your dream. We all have a specific set of talents and a reason for being here, when you find it and live it everything becomes different.

11. Feel your feelings and be your own best friend.

12. Love YOU!

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment

LaoTzu