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The way we care for ourselves has a profound impact on our health and wellbeing. We all have different mind-body-soul types so caring for ourselves is unique for each of us as we have individual needs at different times in our lives.
Although self care can mean different things for different people, the usual focus can be following a checklist making sure we are eating nourishing foods, resting, staying hydrated, doing our nails, having a massage, exercising, taking time out etc.
Whilst self care is essential to good health, tuning into the mind and body, making healthy choices regarding our mental, emotional and physical health are the building blocks to a deeper connection to ourselves and life.
Throughout my own "self care" journey, which will be a work in progress for the rest of my life, I discovered that real self care is about truly honouring myself. This can lead to living a joy-filled life or discovering your life purpose and doing things to pursue that purpose. It can empower us to design a life of endless possibilities.
Life gifts us, in each moment, opportunities to tune in, honour, love and trust ourselves . . . like we actually matter. These life moments allow us to know ourselves, how we regard, consider and relate to ourselves and others.
Honouring yourself starts with self awareness. We can learn to be more self-aware by practicing tuning into our senses and non-judgmentally observing what we are thinking and feeling, physically and emotionally, so we are able to respond to life in healthy ways versus in an unhealthy reactive way. This is the essence of mindfulness.
Honouring ourselves is not just ticking things off a self care list. It is a way of living and being with ourselves that is deeply caring, it's respecting, accepting and appreciating ourselves. It's a process of exploration. There are many ways we can honour ourselves. What feels in alignment for one person may not for another person. I have found meditation to be a wonderful way to connect with myself and go within, taking me to a deeper and more reflective place. This can help us build self awareness by gently listening to our bodies, our intuition and the innate wisdom within us. In this reflective space of exploration we can practice being self-compassionate by honouring the moment we are in and giving ourselves permission to BE with ourselves, especially when it's uncomfortable.
While meditating, tune in to your body and ask,
"What can I do to deeply honour myself now?" "How does my body feel after eating certain foods?"
"Which relationships really feed my soul?"
"What kind of movement feels good for my body?"
"What lights me up?"
Make time for enjoying a cup of tea in a beautiful cup and enjoy every sip.
Fold the edge of your doona back for yourself as a way of inviting yourself into a comfy bed each night.
Wear a beautiful nightie to bed.
Sit in nature and listen. Take one slow deep breath.
It's important to deeply care and honour ourselves during these times of change as it's easy to self soothe and seek comfort with unhealthy habits when we feel uncertainty in our lives.
Remember, self awareness and tuning into your own mind and body is your compass.
If you don't know where to start, start with being still or doing something that lights you up. I have put together a few self honouring practices focussing on different areas of your life and have re-named a "Self Care Checklist" a "Self Honour Tune-In". I have also added mindful, holistic and self loving practices to the "Tune-In's" to support you on your self honour journey helping you build self love, love for others and joy in your life.