Meeting your physical needs, your social needs, feeding hope for the future, and meeting your emotional needs- the way you ‘speak to yourself’, are all ways in which we can take care of ourselves.
Our body is an amazing machine. Think about all the things it does instinctively, without you thinking about it; breathing, digesting, processing thoughts, healing, and the list goes on. When we treat our body kindly, the results are beneficial in so many ways.
Are you taking care of your physical needs; eating well, sleeping well, moving often, recharging often? Of course we are still human, so we are not expected to be superhuman and do these things all the time! Sometimes we can’t meet one of these needs, for a multitude of reasons. It might mean making some adjustments for some time before your body recuperates or is able to function the way you would like it to. There are so many ways we can move or recharge. Maybe you like the outdoors and love to walk in the fresh air, with a companion or on your own so you can absorb the smells and sounds of your surroundings. Maybe you like to go to the gym where it is structured and others can help motivate you to keep going. You might be a dancer, an archer, a swimmer or golfer. Maybe your movement is chasing toddlers around and you look forward to a nap just as much as they do. The more we look after this amazing machine, that is our body, the more we are able to cope with life's ups and downs.
Have you been making time to connect with those you care about and those that help you ‘fill your bucket’, or bring out the best in you? In a time when we are minimizing contact it is important to find a way to connect. Isolation can lead to loneliness, withdrawal due to fear, and our minds and bodies staying on alert. If working from home is your best option or you are isolating, maybe it is time to get creative. Have Zoom catch ups or call someone you haven’t seen in awhile. Maybe you have been working so hard that you have found little time to connect. Is it time to find some balance in your life?
Have you been looking ahead, making plans or finding some other way to instill hope? Maybe you are hopeful that this year will bring some changes for you, or you are making plans to ensure change does happen. Finding ways to look forward can help us continue to move in this direction. Many aspects of our life are out of our control, as we are all well aware of during this world-wide pandemic, but there are many things that we can have some influence on or have some control over. The way we look after our body and mind is under our control. Maybe you are going through something with your body that is out of your control, but how you think about it and the actions you take are under your control. You might hold hope that you find the right support or that things will improve. You could be at a place in your life where you have realized you are worrying about things that are out of your control and you would like to make space for letting go of those thoughts and feelings.
We have been reminded of the benefits of being kind to one another more recently, as it is helping us all get through some tough and uncertain times. While you are treating others kindly, are you doing the same to yourself? Being kind to yourself, or being self-compassionate, holds so many benefits. “Self-compassion entails being kind toward oneself in instances of pain or failure; perceiving one’s experiences as part of the larger human experience; and holding painful thoughts and feelings in balanced awareness. Approaching painful feelings with self-compassion is linked to a happier, more optimistic mindset, and appears to facilitate the ability to grow, explore, and wisely understand oneself and others” (Neff K.D., Rude S.S., Kirkpatrick K.L., 2006)
Being kind to and about yourself, like you are your best friend, can help you deal with life's roller coaster. It can help you to reset after many of the challenges life likes to throw at us. We all come to this life with strengths and characters that make us unique. Own who you are; there is a place for us all and for all of us a place.
Do you need support with any of the aspects covered in this article?