Self Care
Ahhh, self-care. A bit of a buzz-phrase, isn't it? But it is true - self-care is of such great importance. (Would you believe there was a time that I didn't even know or believe this? So. Weird.) I realize there won't be much real substance to this post for some of you, but I decided to got ahead and write it regardless... mostly because I feel it is a great place to start a journey. ;)
Self-care is different from self-indulgence, it is more self-awareness. Not self-absorption, but self-improvement. Self-care opens the door to more. More inspiration, more learning, more expression, more... When you feel 100% (or close to), then you live 100% (or close to). Of course a solid self-care routine is going to look different for everyone. I have friends who have creating art at the top of their self-care routine, whereas others have exercise as theirs. I'm no where near what I would call "perfect" in my self-care routines, and I feel that routines will ebb and flow and change with time, and to fit your needs. But they are still really important to establish for yourself.
The most important self-care habit I really worked on cultivating deeper this year (I actually started working on this last year) was having a healthy relationship with sleep. By this I mean that I made healthy sleep a top priority, by creating for myself my optimum sleeping environment, and allowing myself the space and time to actually sleep. For me this meant removing a few things from my bedroom, "scheduling" sleep times (I'm not rigid, but I do like to try to sleep a certain amount of time), practicing a soothing routine to encourage myself to fall asleep, and keeping outside influences (like my children's toys or any screens) out of my room. It really helped to reestablish good sleep patterns that I had lost when living through the years of having infants and young toddlers. Sleep is so very important - there is even new research that suggests sleep disruption actually increases Alzheimer's related protein levels, which of course increases the risk of Alzheimer's. Yikes. So... sleep. Have you gotten any lately? ;)
Creating an altar was another one of the things E. encouraged in the group - I honestly put the idea of creating altars into the self-care category, simply because that is how I view it. I've always had "altars" in my home - I think that's just part of being a Virgo... we like creating vignettes in our daily life. For me, my home and surroundings not only impact my inner self, but they are also a reflection of my inner self. Peace outside, peace inside - peace inside, peace outside. (It's also why I'm a bit of a minimalist... but that's a whole other topic. haha!!)
So my routine for the year was to frequently switch up my altars, as a way to feed my growth, and keep the inspiration flowing. An altar doesn't have to be spiritual... it can simply be a collection of things that you draw inspiration from, and that bring you joy. A collection of lip gloss you love. Two feathers you found on your hike and a stone from your favorite place. A shelf with your beloved coffee mugs. Make beauty with the possessions that inspire you.
Being grounded and centered is something I have really had to work towards over the years. I think it is sooo easy for me to float off... so staying more evenly grounded was definitely on my list. There are a number of ways that I try to do this - one of them being scents (aromatherapy, incense). I've always been an incense lover, but one of the products that was new to me this year, and that I absolutely LOVE is this dream balm. Like, I could bathe in a vat of this balm. I am not usually drawn to the floral scents (and in fact, artificial ones give me migraines), instead I usually reach for the earthy/dirty/grounding scents (which is why I love incense). But this one is divine. I usually put it on before bed, but often will use it to just calm and center myself if I'm feeling anxious or overwhelmed. I've used it quite liberally this year, and am still working on emptying my first 1 oz container - so this stuff lasts! Anyone have any similar balms to share with me?
Music. Music has definitely become a bigger part of my routine this year. E. shared Soul Shaker. And then I fell in love with Sean Hayes. Music just makes everything more awesome, doesn't it? It is one of the easiest expressions of emotions. When words sometimes fail... there's music.
I also spent some of my time this year studying Ayurvedic medicine, and really enjoyed it. Enter hair oil into my life and... *OH MY STARS* I love it. I definitely wanted to create an easy/quick hair oiling routine for myself. By some chance, I received this oil (Prim) in a Goddess package - it has a more earthy/herb/light spice smell to it (which I don't mind in the least) but I do know there are some lighter smelling ones out there. I also got this one (bought at my local Target) because I was not wanting to burn through my Prim too fast, and it was super cheap. (Haha!) These are so easy to use, take hardly any time at all, and the results for me have been just wonderful. My hair has never been in such great condition before, and I enjoy how grounded the task makes me feel. I am VERY open to trying another oil - if anyone has any suggestions, please send them my way! (I hate blindly buying products...)
My list wouldn't be well rounded if I didn't also say that I (of course) spent plenty of time knitting, and this fall (when my husband bought me a spinning wheel) spinning. For those of you that know me, you know that fiber arts are a huge part of my life. Create what you love.
These simple routines that I chose may not interest you at all. And that's perfectly fine! The real point is to define the routines that you wish to focus on in order to care for your self, where you are - and to make them routines that you will actually DO. Sometimes that means that you have to clear away an established routine, in order to make room for an important routine. Whatever you choose, may it bring you all the goodness that it is meant to!!
*Peace and all that* ~K
Self-care is different from self-indulgence, it is more self-awareness. Not self-absorption, but self-improvement. Self-care opens the door to more. More inspiration, more learning, more expression, more... When you feel 100% (or close to), then you live 100% (or close to). Of course a solid self-care routine is going to look different for everyone. I have friends who have creating art at the top of their self-care routine, whereas others have exercise as theirs. I'm no where near what I would call "perfect" in my self-care routines, and I feel that routines will ebb and flow and change with time, and to fit your needs. But they are still really important to establish for yourself.
I think that self-care routines should be simple to do, shouldn't take a lot of time, and should be things that genuinely bring you joy and encourage you to be your best bad-assed self.
The most important self-care habit I really worked on cultivating deeper this year (I actually started working on this last year) was having a healthy relationship with sleep. By this I mean that I made healthy sleep a top priority, by creating for myself my optimum sleeping environment, and allowing myself the space and time to actually sleep. For me this meant removing a few things from my bedroom, "scheduling" sleep times (I'm not rigid, but I do like to try to sleep a certain amount of time), practicing a soothing routine to encourage myself to fall asleep, and keeping outside influences (like my children's toys or any screens) out of my room. It really helped to reestablish good sleep patterns that I had lost when living through the years of having infants and young toddlers. Sleep is so very important - there is even new research that suggests sleep disruption actually increases Alzheimer's related protein levels, which of course increases the risk of Alzheimer's. Yikes. So... sleep. Have you gotten any lately? ;)
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| One of the altars in my living room - it seems like it changes every few days |
Creating an altar was another one of the things E. encouraged in the group - I honestly put the idea of creating altars into the self-care category, simply because that is how I view it. I've always had "altars" in my home - I think that's just part of being a Virgo... we like creating vignettes in our daily life. For me, my home and surroundings not only impact my inner self, but they are also a reflection of my inner self. Peace outside, peace inside - peace inside, peace outside. (It's also why I'm a bit of a minimalist... but that's a whole other topic. haha!!)
So my routine for the year was to frequently switch up my altars, as a way to feed my growth, and keep the inspiration flowing. An altar doesn't have to be spiritual... it can simply be a collection of things that you draw inspiration from, and that bring you joy. A collection of lip gloss you love. Two feathers you found on your hike and a stone from your favorite place. A shelf with your beloved coffee mugs. Make beauty with the possessions that inspire you.
Being grounded and centered is something I have really had to work towards over the years. I think it is sooo easy for me to float off... so staying more evenly grounded was definitely on my list. There are a number of ways that I try to do this - one of them being scents (aromatherapy, incense). I've always been an incense lover, but one of the products that was new to me this year, and that I absolutely LOVE is this dream balm. Like, I could bathe in a vat of this balm. I am not usually drawn to the floral scents (and in fact, artificial ones give me migraines), instead I usually reach for the earthy/dirty/grounding scents (which is why I love incense). But this one is divine. I usually put it on before bed, but often will use it to just calm and center myself if I'm feeling anxious or overwhelmed. I've used it quite liberally this year, and am still working on emptying my first 1 oz container - so this stuff lasts! Anyone have any similar balms to share with me?
Music. Music has definitely become a bigger part of my routine this year. E. shared Soul Shaker. And then I fell in love with Sean Hayes. Music just makes everything more awesome, doesn't it? It is one of the easiest expressions of emotions. When words sometimes fail... there's music.
I also spent some of my time this year studying Ayurvedic medicine, and really enjoyed it. Enter hair oil into my life and... *OH MY STARS* I love it. I definitely wanted to create an easy/quick hair oiling routine for myself. By some chance, I received this oil (Prim) in a Goddess package - it has a more earthy/herb/light spice smell to it (which I don't mind in the least) but I do know there are some lighter smelling ones out there. I also got this one (bought at my local Target) because I was not wanting to burn through my Prim too fast, and it was super cheap. (Haha!) These are so easy to use, take hardly any time at all, and the results for me have been just wonderful. My hair has never been in such great condition before, and I enjoy how grounded the task makes me feel. I am VERY open to trying another oil - if anyone has any suggestions, please send them my way! (I hate blindly buying products...)
My list wouldn't be well rounded if I didn't also say that I (of course) spent plenty of time knitting, and this fall (when my husband bought me a spinning wheel) spinning. For those of you that know me, you know that fiber arts are a huge part of my life. Create what you love.
These simple routines that I chose may not interest you at all. And that's perfectly fine! The real point is to define the routines that you wish to focus on in order to care for your self, where you are - and to make them routines that you will actually DO. Sometimes that means that you have to clear away an established routine, in order to make room for an important routine. Whatever you choose, may it bring you all the goodness that it is meant to!!
*Peace and all that* ~K
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