Self Care Is the New Health Care

With the growing acceptance for more holsitic approaches to health, the practice of self care is definitely more than a passing trend. While self care will look different for each of us, self care is simply how we consciously choose to care for our body, mind and soul.

Self care is often confused with recreation or self indulgence, but genuine self care is really about doing something that restores and revitalizes your whole self. Self care is any behavior that makes you feel balanced and healthy.

Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It doesn’t take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. It’s what you do every day for yourself.

When you have good self care, you have greater peace, wellbeing and the inner resilience to navigate life’s stressors.

If your’e feeling physically run down, mentally overwhelmed and can’t seem to reharge your battery, it might be time to review your self care.

As a health coach, I believe when it comes to having better self care, the goal is not simply making you take care of yourself but to become aware of how you stop yourself from taking care of yourself.

If you struggle with slowing down and have a tendency to put your well being last, then it’s really more about getting curious about the part of you that sabotages your best intentions.

Because often the biggest barriers to self care our rooted in our mindset. Somewhere deep within us is one or more limiting beliefs, i.e. stories we tell ourselves that hold us back.

Here Are Some Common Limiting Beliefs That Are Barriers To Self Care:

1) All or Nothing / Perfectionism – You believe self care is about having perfect health, having the perfect body, eating the perfect foods, having the perfect daily routine. So you set unattainable goals and evaluate yourself in extreme terms.

2) Unaware of Your Own Needs/Busyness Is A Badge of Honor – Our busy, overscheduled lifestyles can make it challenging to listen to the important signals that our body sends us. When busyness is glorified, you may end up overextending yourself with varied obligations and responsibilities.

3) Guilt / Co-dependency – Self-care is especially hard for those who developed codependent patterns; a tendency to focus on other people’s needs often at their own expense. There’s a belief that self care is self indulgent and takes away from others.

4) Low Motivation / Lack of Self Trust – It can feel daunting to make new lifestyle challenges; maybe you don’t trust in your own ability to be consistent.

5) Feeling Unworthy – Somewhere along the way you got the idea that you’re not worthy of the same care that you give to others.

The first step is to get curious about these or other thoughts and emotions that come when it comes to taking care of yourself because they give you important clues to understanding how your self-care is working or why it’s gotten derailed.

To begin practice tuning into your own feelings and needs. Checking in with your body is the one of the best ways to choose a self care activity that matches your needs.

Pause a couple times a day and ask yourself what you’re feeling and what you need.

Try to do one small thing for yourself to meet that need.

Instead of radical overhaul, work on simple, tiny improvements.

Remind yourself that wellness happens with consistent baby steps.

Above all be patient and gentle with yourself.

Now repeat after me:

My feelings and needs are no more, no less, but equally as valid as anyone else’s.

I am open to trying new things to improve my health.