• On Oct, 26, 2021
•  Jayne Hembruff
•  Uncategorized

What does self care mean to you?

some define self care as taking care of you!

To make you the best version of you – what do you need to do to be the best version of you physically? mentally? spiritually? As well as emotionally?

To allow you be the best sibling, best partner, best student, best at doing your job, best parent to your child(ren), best athlete, best musician, etc

As flight attendants say, put on your own oxygen mask first, then help others. Same with self care. You need to refill your tank with self care before you can begin helping others.

remember, self care is not synonymous with self-indulgence or being selfish.

 

Yoga is a fantastic way for self care. Pausing to be still, checking in with all out senses, allowing all the busy thoughts to slip away while you are on your yoga mat, and just breathe and be in this moment. This my friends is mindfulness; being fully present in the moment.

The poses and flows or asanas of yoga are simple to allow our body and mind to pause to be present in the moment. It is challenging for many of us to be still, and that is ok. That is why we call it a yoga practice. There is no perfect yoga. It is accepting what is in this moment.

Yoga also incorporates breath work into its practice. There are a variety of breathing techniques to help one pause, and return to calm. As well as breathing techniques to help us rid ourself of frustration, anxiety, depression, anger, and feeling over whelmed.

After so many months of disruption due to covid-19, it is important to remember we are all resilient and need to adapt to this new world.

What do you do for self care in the fall? winter Spring? Summer?

Marcus Wilson talks about the seasons of self care. To know we need to change up our self care as the season change. As the temperatures drop to more seasonal fall temperatures, we may find our self dreading the winter. Try to shift that mindset to welcoming the beauty of the fall leaves. Take a walk and admire all the beauty nature has to offer us – at the same time we will be soaking up some Vitamin D.

As winter and snow arrives, allow yourself to be a kid, make snow angles, and snow sculptures, then treat yourself to your favorite healthy hot beverage as you  cozying up next to a fireplace with your favorite blanket. Last year, I lead community yoga walks to blend a number of my personal favourite self care tools. Let me know if you are interested to re-start these walks.Pre–covid, I loved to get out ballroom dancing; just allow myself to be in the moment moving to the music. Be creative and try new things.

In spring, embrace the new beginnings as the flowers pop up again and leaves come onto the trees. Allow yourself to reconnect with the earth; getting mucky and dirty. Just watch a toddler for inspiration on how it is done.

Summer, visit your favourite beach to listen to the waves as you lay in the soft warm sand. This year, I missed teaching yoga on the beach. But looking forward to it in 2022.

 

This post was inspired after attending the webinar presented by Marcus D. Wilson-Stevenson on Oct 26, 2021

Marcus wrote “as Autumn arrives, we move inward, becoming aware of what is really needed to care for ourselves and those around us. It is essential for those of us who take care of others to spend some time taking care of ourselves first. For peer specialists, this webinar will explore changing self-care to fit the season, applying techniques that foster a positive attitude, and engaging others in ways that support wellness.” He shared it is important to ·       Understanding self-care adjustments need to be made when seasons change. ·       Checking the forecast for the season with a positive attitude. ·       Developing new support systems as we remember the power of human connections.

 

Cost of NO self care:

• Affects our whole being – mental well being, emotional well being, spiritual well being and our physical well being
• Affects our ability to be able to do our daily tasks
• Affects our ability to study/work
• Burn out

Seasons of Self Care

Know that we go through so many kinds of seasons:

* 4 seasons of the year- fall, winter, spring, and summer,

* Seasons of your lives (teens, twenties choosing life direction, first career jobs, parenting

* Season of change in our lifestyle, season of change with our health

 

Forecast:

Check the forecast. Making a prediction of past and present by analysts and predict future events.

Forecast with a positive attitude.

 

Check -in:

Prepare by checking in with self before checking in with others.

Check in with self at the start of the day.

 

DREAM:

Please keep dreaming!!

Allow yourself to have visions.

 

“Your wealth is in your wellness.”

 

Positive Attitude

Attitudes change everything!

 

Gentleness to Self:

Be easy on yourself; remember we are practicing self-care. Allow yourself to make mistakes and know you may be inconsistent at times since the world keeps changing. You are important.

 

Supporters

Remember the power of human connection. Connect with people who will support you and your self care.

 

Willing to try something new.

 

Homework

“Take just one step at a time”…Martin Luther King

 

What do you need to do to be able to take a step today; not a leap. Take one step in the direction you want to go.

 

Try these simple self care tools:

*30 minute walk/hike in the woods. Being in the woods helps decrease stress. Focus is to be in fresh air.

*15 min of sunshine per day. Vit D increases

*Patience – create a space where mistakes will happen

*try something new

*smile – its like a reset button; decreases heart rate.

*laugh – allow yourself to laugh, especially while you age

*I give myself permission to care for myself before others

*forgiveness – practice forgiveness to yourself; go easy on yourself. We are not perfect

*Change takes time

*Habits take time to build and stop bad habits. Build a habit in a season

*know self-care tools may change with each season

Breathing can really help to slow down anxiety

 

 

Let me know what you think of this post by emailing jayne@innovativewellness.ca