Self Care
How many of you take time in your day to do something for yourself? It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering. It could be a bath, a deep breath, a massage, anything. In order to bring joy to others, you must first bring joy to yourself. Don't confuse this with a good deed. Good deeds are amazing, but what I'm talking about is something specifically for you, that will make you smile, make you happy, make your day a little better. Take a moment to think about what makes YOU happy. Don't attribute this to anyone but you. Now make a list of the little things that create happiness for you and try to do more of those for yourself daily.
Here is my list:
A bath
A great workout - this am I did a 20 minute Peloton HIIT ride. Just 20 minutes made me feel so amazing that I added in a 10 minute core w/o, a 10 minute upper body w/o, a 10 minute hip stretch and 5 minutes of meditation.
Reflexology
Meditatin
Reading in front of the fire
Catching up with my siblings
Playing with my dogs
Crafting - I love to make things either by myself or with my daughter. I have been making aromatherapy eye pillows for friends and love it. I love mine. I use it all the time when I meditate.
Spending time with my family & friends.
Watching a movie. I LOVE to watch movies.
In her book "Eat With Intention" Cassandra Bodzak talks about the The Well-Being Trifecta: Food, Meditation, and Self-Care. Check out this video about it. It's life changing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRQrfbBVvxE.
She talks about starting to bring awareness to what you are actually eating. Writing in a food mood journal. I LOVE this so much! This really resonated with me. How do you feel after you eat a certain food. Then ask yourself if you are eating from a place of self love or self sabotage. It's not about what you are eating, its about the "intention" you are eating it with. Bring awareness to every bite. Also, become aware of your relationship with food. Think about it. Pay attention to it. Are you compulsively eating? Are you eating crap, fasting because you feel guilty? Think about where and when you eat and try to make a connection to that. Try to see things differently. No judgement, just awareness. You will be AMAZED at how magical and transforming this is for you. Lastly, she asks you to surrender to a power bigger than you. Acknowledge your findings and surrender to a willingness to see things differently and to be healthier and happier with your relationship with food. Once you do this, you allow divine guidance to come in and help you to keep your journey going. This will lead you to things that are powerful for your personal journey. They could be a great cookbook, exercise plan, meditation, anything. Be open to it and embrace it!