Laura DraneIf I were to ask you “how do you look after yourself?” or “what do you do to nurture your spirit?” would you have an answer?
These question were asked of me many years ago, when I first began my recovery journey, and I had absolutely no idea how to answer them. To be honest, the phrase ‘nurturing my spirit’ sounded like a load of old hippy rubbish to me!
However, fast-forward 8 or so years and today my self-care comes at the top of my list most of the time. This is because today I know that if I don’t look after myself physically, emotionally and spiritually, eventually the wheels are going to come off of my life.
For example, when I have a particularly busy and stressful week coming up at work, I make sure that there is time set-aside for me to relax and take it easy. Even if that just means taking half an hour out of my evening to have a bath and read a book. I might make sure that I schedule some time to meditate in the mornings before I start work, or I take an extra 10 minutes to be with the animals in my life.
In my experience self-care / spirit-nurturing / looking after myself doesn’t have to be a big deal; I don’t have to check myself into a spa every other weekend, I just have to make time to check-in with myself and make sure I’m doing ok. I guess it’s a bit like being my own therapist – I take some time out just to be with myself and to address any issues that have come to the surface.
My experience of NOT doing this usually results in me feeling angry, moody and unfulfilled. Physically I usually end up getting ill (sore-throats are my speciality) and EXTRA clumsy – I keep hitting my head, or cutting myself with the bread knife or biting the inside of my lip when I eat. These are all signs my body gives me that I need to STOP and practice some self-care.
If any of these symptoms of neglected self-care sound familiar, try one of the following ways to nurture yourself:
- Take 5 minutes to be quiet and listen to your breathing
- Stretch out your muscles
- Take a bath
- Meditate
- Go for a walk in the fresh air
- Cuddle a dog / cat / chicken / horse
- Read a good book
- Listen to some good music
- Phone a friend for a chat
- Have a nice cup of tea
Self-care, for me, is about taking it easy on myself, giving myself a break. Self-care is the opposite of obsession and compulsion. NOTHING is so important that it needs to be obsessed over.
So, I’m off to have a bath, read a book and cuddle a chicken!
Have a good day!
