We’ve all felt the shift over the last two decades leading us into a culture that places the high importance of “personal heath” as encompassing the mind – body – spirit collaborating together. We are now seen as one whole being made up of the sum of our parts. One unfilled part can lead to the whole being feeling unwell. The process of connecting our parts is an experienced developed out of an interactive and reflective process. A process which is aimed towards personal goals and growth.
As I too embark down this path. I find myself continually returning to a preached lesson I have heard over and over...SELF-CARE!!! While I thought I knew most of the tips and tools, A recent seminar I attended further underlined the need for this, however it took the different angle that we often wait far too long to use self-care strategies for respite and healing. We wait until we have nothing left to give before our alarm bells scream SELF CARE – SELF CARE – SELF CARE. It’s only then we hunker down and open up our tool box; maybe we pull out meditation, sleep, exercise, dietary changes, inspiring literature, a new hike, disconnecting… and the list goes on and on. But what if instead of using self-care as a last resort, we allow ourselves to embrace the mindset of self-care first! We treat our needs first, we fill out buckets first, we start the day with a short mediation, we read something that inspires us before the mindless scrolling begin. What could happen if we allow ourselves to change the order of which we operate in order to build up a fuller reserve?
The difficult side is that even when we shift our mindset, we’re going to find self-care hard! But Why? Why is self-care so hard to master? The concept alone remains a fixed buzz word and is addressed nearly everywhere in our culture; there is an abundance of tools, resources, and information at our fingertips available for immediate use. Yet we all struggle with this on some level...The truth is, it's difficult because there really is no such thing as a cookie cutter plan to self-care. Once we finally give ourselves permission to engage in it, we realize there is no quick fix, no fast solution. What will work for me may sound bizarre and stressful to you and vice-versa. Self-care instead isn’t about following a program; it’s about creating one, one tailored to your needs. Don’t know where to start? Try looking at the Wellness Wheel and break apart where your life balance is and where changes may be of benefit to a more whole you. The only way to see where you want to go is by honestly assessing where you are.
So, where am I?
My best self-analysis is done through journaling and quiet time in nature, when I recently found this time I realized that while many areas of my life remain stable, a few other areas were in a state of transition. The unsettled feeling that transitions produce always surprises us more than it should! Moving from the known to the unknown is a process and in its shifts its easy to lose pegs on the wheel. I noticed I remained unsettled in some personally important ways. I felt stuck and was surprised to find that my old self-care routines have now failed me. It was time for me to adapt, develop a new plan, and jump on in. It was time to go back to the drawing board. Self-reflection highlighted for me that in order to create my authentic self, I had to address every aspect of myself, work out the kinks in past plans to develop a newly manageable plan, tailored to the freeing feeling of wellness in my life. I had to break down each category in order to grow each to ultimately work together. Its an ongoing ever changing process, one that allows personal growth and change! But it’s also one that doesn’t need to be as complicated as our minds can make it. Start small yet meaningful!
Until Next Time ~ Be Well With Wels