Tagselfcare

Self-Care Sunday: Taking Time To Nurture Yourself

Have you taken the time to nurture yourself this week? Let’s be honest, in the hustle and bustle of life we tend to leave ourselves behind from time to time. It’s easy to put work, kids, deadlines and family needs before our own. Eventually this leads to burnt out, leaving us tired and empty.

That’s why it’s essential that we tend to our own needs and mental health. Otherwise, we will be pouring ourselves out of an empty vessel. Hence, the title. 

Let’s do a little check-in. Below are some questions to start with: 

  • What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
  • Do you have a morning routine? A ritual?
  • Practical steps that can set up your day for the best possible outcome? 

Here are few simple things I do first thing in the morning to make sure I am setting myself up to win:

  • State a positive affirmation (while still in bed)
  • Light stretch
  • Brush my teeth
  • Take a shower
  • Meditate
  • Light yoga (while the coffee is brewing) 
  • Journal ( it doesn’t have to make sense) 

Yes, seriously. I do all of these things within the first two hours upon waking, either before heading to work or getting my day started with my family. 

You’d be surprised at how these common sense and simple things are overlooked and undervalued. 

Choose one, two or all of them and try it on. Simply spend a few minutes on each and see how you feel. 

Take inventory before you go to bed. What worked? What didn’t work? And what can you do differently tomorrow?

Don’t overthink it. It takes daily practice, consistency and a little willingness.  

Trust the process.

Be Yourself

Here I’ll share a little bit of a personal story.

Halloween is around the corner and because irony is one of my more favored humors, I wanted to leave everyone a positive reminder; wearing masks is fun, but being yourself is best.

But as I am writing this, I came across an interesting tidbit. October 29th is international internet day. I find this fitting because the internet is a symbol of communication and expression. The internet up many new channels of communication and expression. It gives us the ability to wear infinite masks. It also shows us how interconnected everything really is. We can open up portals to speak with and see friends and family from across the planet. Or we can communicate anonymously with millions of people. We can access information stored from incredible distances and carry it in our pockets. So I guess the other message for this post is let’s remember not to take the internet for granted and most of what we see online is a mask.

Some people worry about being judged by others, some people judge themselves too much. I fall into the latter category. As a child it bothered me that I would not be accepted into schools because of my hair – and when I did, I would be teased and get into fights with other children. It took a while for it to even occur to me to change myself for acceptance (which I tried and felt miserable).

You have to accept yourself before others can.

I’m more of the person to always ask “why?”. I accepted being different and stopped caring what other people think. Instead, I cared more about what I think, and set high standards upon myself. There’s nothing wrong with this but it’s important to remember not to judge yourself too harshly. Above all else, you have to accept yourself before others can.

We may want to be accepted into a certain circle, or simply appear a certain way to others. There are many reasons for wanting to wear a mask. Some believe that we are always wearing a mask. Regardless, we know what comes naturally and comfortably for us. This would be our “default mask” and nothing is better than this one. If it is a mask, it is one that does not create stress for us when we wear it, rather we find joy in being and expressing ourselves. Be yourself. Love yourself.

So yes, of course that means you can still be yourself AND dress up for Halloween.

Blessings,
Jahmaal