Life is here to stay with us; challenges are beyond our control. This year has definitely been challenging for most of us and we all could use some self-care strategies.
Are there ways you have learned to better manage your stress?
Self-care has to be overall. For example:
- Physical / Nutritional– Taking care of our bodies by exercising and eating a balanced diet. Eating a healthy meal strengthens the gut. Serotonin, a chemical messenger that is key in our mental health, is also found in the gut. Who knew.
- Mental and Emotional – learn ways to manage your stress. Learn things that make you happy. It might be as simple as walking. Also practice self-love, affirmation, and compassion. How would you also build emotional resilience during difficult times? Check out this blog https://bnhealthmatters.com/how-do-you-adjust-during-difficult-times/
- Spiritual – What are your beliefs and values? Do you believe in a higher power? I am Christian and having a connection to church and God is vital for me.
- Intellectual – keep your brain engaged with creativity, fun games, or do new projects. My newfound love is coloring (Image is one of my coloring projects). It has kept my mind engaged and is very therapeutic. Is this why kids become quiet when coloring?
- Professional – Work causes a lot of stress for most of us, remember to put boundaries and take breaks if need be. Don’t’ take work home though in this new COVID19 era most people are working from home. Learning to balance the two is vital. Are you able to separate the two when working from home?
- Environmental- Our surroundings are a great determinant of our health. My personal favorite is Environmental Disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which are found in most products, unfortunately, they mess up our endocrine system. Which can eventually link to our mental health and sexual health. Learn your environment.
When all is said and done self-care is overall because one area trickles to the other areas. It is vital to be vigilant in all areas of our lives. I have been reading the book Feelings buried alive never die by Karol Truman that mentions that “90 % of physical illnesses have psychological roots”. These kinds of statistics left me thinking about how vital self-care is.