Happy Saturday Holistic Health Nuts!!! I hope you are all doing well, physically, mentally and spiritually. Hopefully you can rest today. In today's blogpost we will be talking about self care. On Wednesday, I was talking to two of my friends about the daily grind, and finding it overwhelming with the endless to do lists and finding it hard to strike a balance between rest and work. It is something we can all relate to, but it is necessary to rest our bodies. Let's not forget that we are human BE-ings first. So, set aside some time to just be. Yes, our dreams and goals are important but, so is our holistic health. When we don't give ourselves time to rest and recharge, we get burned out and stressed. Then we end up with the physical manifestations. Its easy for us to overlook rest and self care because we feel like its wasting time that we can be using to get work done. However, rest and self care is also productive guys. We cannot pour from an empty glass. So, with that being said, here are some ways to take care of ourselves, holistically.
1. First and foremost, SLEEP, say it with me, sleep. Sleep is extremely important. During
sleep our bodies take time to rejuvenate. Our skin cells turn over allowing for new skin cells to form. Getting enough sleep will help us to concentrate better, lessens our risk of injury, supports our immune function and helps protect us from metabolic diseases like diabetes. Sleep is also very important for our mental health. When we sleep we get better clarity and focus which is helpful, especially in difficult situations. Other than my nightly 8 hours of sleep, I like to take naps throughout the day whenever possible, just as a pick me up for when I have long workdays. Naps can be anywhere from 15-30mins.
2. Take care of your spiritual health by spending time with God. I find that I tend to be more anxious and less grounded when I don't spend time with God. Prayer is important for me because it makes me feel closer to God. I can cast all my anxieties on him because I know and am assured that he cares for me. Reading scripture is also helpful in giving me lessons to apply to my daily life, shaping how I interact with others and treat myself.
3. Find time to move your body. Endorphins are great mood boosters and help with mental clarity as well. Find something you like, it doesn't have to be extreme. It can be as simple as a walk in your favorite park or along the beach. I like to do yoga because it feels like a full body massage. There's also dancing! and you can do it with friends, even better. Socializing is good for us.
4. Hang out with friends or family. spending time with yourself is important, however, isolating ourselves is extreme and can lead to negative effects. For a lot of us who suffer from depression, finding a healthy balance between spending time in our own company and socializing with people you love can make some difference. So, go out to a spontaneous dinner with your friends. Call your mom or your dad and catch up. Or, if you wanna get really spicy lol, go someplace new and meet new people.
5. Carve out time in your week for your favorite hobby, or even a new one. Taking time to tend to your creative side is very therapeutic. In fact you can express your emotions through whatever it is you decide to do. Art is one of the many options. Even if you don't feel like you are talented enough. Go for it, you can try ceramics, painting, reading, writing singing, or drawing. You end up with something beautiful that could possibly boost confidence in your skills and even mood.
6. Spend time in nature. Fresh air coupled with no distractions from the digital world is great in keeping us grounded and aware of the real world. In fact there is so much to learn from just simply being outside and observing life. For example, spending time in nature has taught me the importance of gratitude from simply watching the beauty of a sunset. It reassures me of God's grace and mercy. I have eye sight to see the beauty of the sunset and my nerves are functioning so that I can feel the wind etc. Finding the beauty in the simple things can work wonders.
7. Cook. You can prepare your favorite meal or even something new. For me cooking is how I express my creativity and how I nourish myself and others, not just physically but emotionally. You can even make it a group effort and invite friends over and cook with and for them. It doesn't have to only be about nourishing yourself physically, but also about building healthy relationships and providing emotional nourishment.
These are just some of the many ways we can engage in self care. There are plenty more where these came from. Engaging in self care can teach us a lot about ourselves. All in all, what I am trying to say is slow down once in a while. Take the time to take care of yourself as much as you need to, because at the end of the day we are holistic beings which means all areas of our being requires nourishment. In order for us to have the energy and mental capacity necessary to pursue our goals or to even show up for our loved ones, we need to be charged.
Share with us in the comments below, your self care tips for holistic health.
Peace, love and health!
Comments