Self-Care Has Never Been More Essential

“When we care for ourselves as our very own beloved—with naps, healthy food, clean sheets, a lovely cup of tea—we can begin to give in wildly generous ways to the world, from abundance. —Anne Lamott, author

Since 2020 there have been so many uncommon adversities that we’ve all had to deal with that self-care which was once dismissed as a luxury should now be considered a vital daily practice. It takes effort to feel tranquil, balanced and collected which happens when we create practices to care for ourselves. Self-care is a very personal and intentional practice of improving our physical and mental health.

I believe in leading by example, so I’ll share my recent journey of introducing self-care into my daily practices, hopefully it will inspire you. Since I’ve healed from my self-created back injury, I’ve taken time to reflect on how I was thinking and why I was filling my days with a rigid agenda and unreachable ideals. To change that I knew I had to take some serious steps. So, starting that week I began spending more time doing things I used to consider luxuries. Since then I’ve added an assortment of simple and doable self-care practices and so far I’m more aware, tranquil and really enjoy each day. I can now say without a doubt that I am happier than I’ve been in a very long time. Even though the chaos continues in the outside world, there are ways to soothe and pamper ourselves that I believe can only make us a better person for ourselves and those around us.

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. Jack Kornfield

If you’re ready to begin your journey, start by carving time into each day to indulge your five senses with purposeful self-care. There is no wrong way in doing self-care, the list I created below are my ideas, you can create from this or create your own ways of pampering yourself. Caring for yourself doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, this is just about finding simple ways to give attention to yourself. Practicing self-care is about doing something for yourself that evokes positive emotions. I sincerely believe that if we feel good and are at peace, we can bring that into everything we do. And if for no other reason, Adam Feldman says, “Self-care also helps us sharpen our mental and physical health through better self-esteem, stress management, and overall well-being.”

Luxury at Home – Nurture Yourself

• Get plenty of sleep, when you can, turn off your alarm
• Spend time with your pet(s)
• Have a good cry
• Take time when eating to enjoy the taste of the food, savor the joy of nourishing your body
• Scented or unscented candles and flowers can make any room feel special
• Set some time aside to read a funny story, watch videos or shows that make you laugh out loud
• Enjoy a midday break, treat yourself to enjoyable refreshments
• Make your shower or bath luxurious by using a special soap, scented lotion, include items to slough your skin, play music, use soft lighting, have live plants and super soft towels
• Give yourself spa treatments, a manicure or pedicure, a facial treatment, a foot massage, a footbath, or a soothing body massage,
• Spend some quiet time reading, meditating or writing
• Take a leisurely walk
• Read a book
• Educate yourself on something you’re interested in
• Declutter, add live plants, some pictures or colorful items to lift yourself
• Take some time to appreciate yourself, compliment yourself, it’s a healthy and simple thing to do that will lift your spirits
• Set time aside to do nothing
• Make an indulgent meal, something that you might usually have for a special occasion
• Plate your meal for presentation as you’d receive it in a fine dining restaurant
• Use linen spray in a scent you love
• Enjoy time in nature
• Rub CBD oil where you may have aches
• Put on comfortable Loungewear
• Take a nap

True luxury is being able to own your time – to be able to take a walk, sit on your porch, read the paper, not take the call, not be compelled by obligation. Ashton Kutcher

The following lists are from Alastin Skin Care

The Psychological Benefits of Self-Care

• Reduces feelings of anxiety and anger
• Reduces instances and feelings of depression
• Improves your thought life and direct it to more positive things
• Increases your sense of optimism and hopefulness
• Reduces negative thoughts and feelings
• Changes your mood from bad to good
• Helps you build stronger connections with yourself and others
• Increases your self-awareness and ability to self-reflect
• Helps you respond better to challenges
• Increases your patience and tamp down on a short fuse
• Increases your focus and productivity (so you can do all the things!

The Wellness Benefits of Self-Care

• You’ll sleep better
• You’ll strengthen your immune system
• Your relationships will improve
• Better finances
• You’ll be able to think clearly and refocus
• You’ll freely and copiously give more of yourself

“Practicing self-care can help you sleep better, improve focus, and strengthen relationships. That positive daily routine can support a happier, healthier outlook so you can enjoy the good times, too.” findyourwords.com

Thank you for reading my post, I sincerely appreciate your taking the time.

Will You Join Me – Home Cooking, a Benefit of Pandemic Coping

“At a scale not seen in over 50 years, America is cooking, a healthy move in the middle of a pandemic.” Hans Taparia/New York Times

The kitchen is my second favorite room in the house. I consider it a place where my creativity and love of delicious food unite to create a combination of ingredients to nourish myself and share great tasting food. Cooking and being in the kitchen gives me comfort and peace in such a strange and difficult time. My mother who created wonderful meals led the way for me, she was my teacher in the process of making food with love. While my mom passed away in 2013 she’s never left my side, whenever I cook she’s right there with me. I cannot imagine a more soul satisfying way to spend days at home then enjoying the process of making delicious, healthy meals that satisfy my intention to eat mindfully.

While there have been many negatives with COVID-19, there are a few benefits, one most prominent is the return to the core of family and cooking and serving real meals at home. Cooking at home isn’t only a means of satisfying our appetites, it is a cultural pillar of socialization that stems from the love of family, friends and the essential human bond of togetherness. This terrible situation has forced people to return to family closeness and better health.

• 

When I was growing up, going out to eat was uncommon, our togetherness and the terrific food were matchless. Did you know that since the inception of the pandemic over 100,000 restaurants have closed, not just independently owned, but many major chains have had to close either some or all of their restaurants? My personal opinion is that eating out has become too common, as ordinary as filling a car with fuel. I see this pandemic as an opportunity for people who treat food as necessary to discover homemade food as a personal link to the care of their body as well as a fun and creative way to enjoy food.

A simple but lovely prayer that I found:

May this food that you provide
and that I prepare
bring nourishment to our bodies
and renewal to our souls.
Amen (Simon Carey Holt)

Cooking at home is a primary element to good health. A few people who have tried to promote the benefits of cooking at home made far less impact then COVID-19. A turn of events that has the potential to improve the overall health of many Americans who had previously relied on take out and restaurants in place of cooking at home. Around 30.3 million people in the US have type 2 diabetes and 84.1 million are prediabetic. making this pandemic a perfect storm to take the time to learn to cook and find ways to improve our health through fresh and healthy ingredients.

“The need to home cook has never been higher, since the coronavirus has been most threatening to people with food-related chronic diseases. About 90 percent of those who become seriously ill due to the virus have an underlying condition — hypertension and diabetes being the most common. New York Times

Above and beyond the nutritional and health benefits is the connection with the ingredients that feed your body. We are evolving away from institutional, commercial food to fresh food. A better environment is created when meals are made and enjoyed at home and mental health benefits are considerable. We pay more attention to what goes in our meals and the way we feel when we eat. For instance, I’ve been slowly reducing the amount of sodium in my food to adding no salt recently. So, I’m ramping up the herbs and spices to make healthier food that is full of flavor and it’s a big success. I consider myself a home chef because I am able to create many meals without the use of a recipe, so I followed the chef standard of adding salt to everything, even sweets so this was a big change for me, but one that is driving a new creative path and a new relationship with the ingredients.

I recently watched a show where a group of people, a historian and archaeologists left the 21st century to immerse themselves in the simple and hard life on a farm in the Victorian era for a year. If you think cooking is a challenge now, just consider the life of someone who cooked using a charcoal fueled stove and oven, preparing food from scratch that they gathered from their garden where animals were butchered that they’d hand raised. That is the true spirit of home cooking embodied in a life lived naturally and self-sufficiently.

The act of cooking should be a spiritual practice that fuels the soul. Create a kitchen that is not only peaceful and beautiful but a sacred space. Here are some methods to connect the kitchen and preparation of food to the earth and all of life.

• Declutter your kitchen, keep it clean
• Keep in mind that this is a space where everyone will participate in the important rituals of treating their body and heart with special care
• Make the meal cooking process an event, whether you’re cooking with someone or you’re on your own
• Turn off and remove any electronic communication devices to increase your consciousness around the food you’re preparing
• Be respectful of the room, of the food that is created and what the room represents, your loving care will be predominate
• Organize the counters and cupboards for beauty and ease of use. What I had duplicates of or didn’t need, I donated. Whatever changes you make do it so you feel inspired such as adding candles, pots of herbs or flowers
• Cook mindfully and with love paying attention to all of the dishes that you’re making. Always keep in mind that your energy effects everything around you including meal preparation

Finally, think about how you show up in the kitchen, just as you do in your relationships with people, be thoughtful and mindful of your relationship with the room and the process of preparing food. Fall into step with nature and the beauty of creating meals whether simple or complex. Enjoy and celebrate the food that you make. Let your imagination soar, with access to millions of recipes on the internet, anything is possible in the kitchen.

• 

Did you Know that Pets Enhance Living Mindfully?

Pets are more than something to care for or a four-legged companion and friend to spend time with. They teach us trust, unconditional love, peace, wisdom, presence, understanding and strength. When it comes to leaving a left brain life behind and taking those brave steps toward a life of creativity, heart and mindfulness, our animal friends are one of our greatest teachers.

My current best friend and life teacher is Mandy, a rescue cat who chose my mom and I in a pretty dark hour of our lives. When mom left the earth, Mandy was lost, she didn’t understand and showed it. I am glad I was experienced and observant enough to understand that it was my turn to return the love and help her heal.  She has recovered and enjoys a happy, healthy life with me. She is feisty, funny, unique, very smart and so loving that I can feel it, even when she’s sleeping.

Mandy the Heart Centered Feline

Shifting to a heart-centered life would never be what it is for me without an animal companion/teacher to share this path with. For if anyone knows about living in the moment and unconditional love, it is our animal friends. They never ask for more than what they give.  Learning to love like that can only come from them, for they’re built that way, that is how they are meant to affect our lives and what they are here to teach us.

I don’t believe in owning or dominating a pet, I see my pets as an equal, a companion to share my life with for as long as they are on earth.  I’ve learned so much from them.  I’ve seen them go through pain and continue to love, I’ve seen them struggle through change and continue to love, I’ve watched a last dying breath and she continued to love.

From first-hand experience, I know that they are incredibly smart and understand a lot more than we think they do. Mandy understands tone, she comes when she is called, she knows her name and she knows the change in my behavior when I am leaving the house, she shows me that when I am with her she is safe and feels at peace by sleeping right next to me. I know that she is sharing her wisdom with me all of the time, sometimes I just forget to pay attention.

When we take in a pet, we take on a commitment for more than their physical health and nutritional needs. We take on a commitment to have a special relationship that requires us to be loving, kind, connected and compassionate just as if we were adopting a child.  When we adopt children, we prepare our home and our lives for a life-long relationship that requires that we become flexible, understanding, loving and aware of what that child needs and has been through before they came into our lives. This is how having an animal in our life must be, I see no difference.

Where did we get the idea that animals are a lower form of life and separate from us and they don’t have the capacity to affect our lives as dramatically as they do? Dogs and cats are being used more and more for healing for people with serious illnesses, as companions for the elderly, as best friends for children with medical challenges. If not for animal companions where would all of that love and healing come from?

When our human relationships get to be too much, our animal friends are the perfect antidote to having unconditional love and lots of fun in our lives. But more than that, we can learn from them to love those who have hurt us, those who have left us, those who have betrayed us, those who have turned away when we needed them most, because they know the heart and how to love.

When you’re on a path to live mindfully, yes, there are many human teachers that help us become better, but our animal friends are some of the best teachers because they are always doing it with love no matter what.

To learn more about your connections with pets, go to Mindful Connections.

Thank you for stopping by.