Empowering women, Health and Well-being, Self Love, Self-care, Self-education
13 FREE Self-Care Ideas To Relieve Stress, Exhaustion & Overwhelm
Mar
I have to confess, I once was a sucker for, “treating” myself in ways that felt ‘self-caring’ yet alas, turned out to be more ‘self-sabotaging’.
Oh how I looked forward to my glass of wine at the end of a busy work day, after all, I deserved it, right?
Other times, chilling with social media for ridiculous lengths of time… hey, it’s good to have down time, right?
… and my last thought before falling into a slumber, was the next buzz that awaited me – a “Good-Morning!” espresso…
… all for the benefit of feeling better, or at least ‘distracted’, from the whirl wind days, painful people or teetering emotions.
Before I go on, my disclaimer is, I’m not saying “don’t do those things” I’m suggesting “do other stuff too”.
You see, seeking ‘instant gratification’ feels awesome in the short term! It can cut off the tears, seemingly relax the body and the mind too – However, whilst the rush of goodness through our bodies gives moments of glory, eventually the buzz lessens and we simply need more. What happens is, the surface ‘bandaid benefit’ – be it alcohol, shopping, drugs, social media, sex or something else…. gives us a soothing hit of dopamine.
Oooohhhh it feels good, right?
However, these instant gratification pleasures do not enrich our sense of self, instead suppress our feelings, emotions and stress… which then find somewhere within our bodies to rest.
These unresolved emotions, circumstances, and other stressful situations are not washed away with a glass of wine, they can fester and brew within us for sometime. These stored emotions are called baggage, and for good reason too, they feel heavy and are like an unneeded load upon you – a burden following us where ever we go. We then wonder, “why does this “stuff” keep happening to me?”. “Why do I always feel this way?”. “I’m tired of being tired.”
“Wherever you go, there you are.” Confucius
Emotions and challenges need to be processed. Our bodies need time to naturally cleanse and refresh – therefore, it helps to have optimum nutrition, move regularly and rest often. In our busy modern world, it’s important to remember to look after our base needs as humans. It’s very easy to lose sight of these primal requirements when we’re surrounded by technology, and leading hectic lives.
Self-care is about unplugging from the external world – both physically and virtually – and putting your needs first.
It’s about being kind and compassionate with yourself, and taking time to feel what you feel – acknowledge, accept, release – To be honest, this can be done very fast, if you know how to be true to yourself.
In essence, self-care is all about listening to what your mind and body needs and giving it to yourself, GUILT FREE!
Here are a few simple yet impactful, self-care suggestions for when you feel stressed, out of balance, used up, over it, exhausted, tired of giving with no return…. and even sad or angry!
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Take a walk barefoot in the sand, wade your feet in the water
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Have a bath for 20 mins with 1kg of Epsom salts and a few drops of your favourite essential oil
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Lie down and listen to a guided visualisation from Siren Soul
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Meditate for 20 minutes
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Journal – do a ‘Purge onto Paper’ to express yourself and get clarity
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Close your eyes and breathe deeply and consciously, allowing an extended exhale each time
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Take a nap
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Have a big glass if water and take your vitamins
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Chat with a trusted friend
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Cuddle your pet
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Garden
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Say “NO” to anything and everything – cancel your commitments for the day… maybe even the week!
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Have a PSYCH-K® session
NOTE: It’s important to do all of these activities WITHOUT YOUR PHONE NEARBY.
HANDY TIPS:
- Drink to celebrate, not to suppress
- Have that coffee when you’re feeling free, not to fake that feeling of glee
- Have sex to connect, not for a quick fix
- Scroll through social media and share your greatest passion – bust out a few “likes” on meaningful posts, if you dare!
- Watch ‘carefully selected’ television programs that give you belly laughs, feed your soul or inform you of something inspiring. Avoid binging on mindless TV for entertainment
NEW RELEASE Siren Soul Guided Visualisations – coming end March 2020 – message me for your copy!!! fiona@sirensoul.com
Tell me in the comments below, what you do for self-care OR how you feel if you don’t.
