Self-care is very important and needs to be an everyday experience in our lives so we can function well over the long term.

Overall, do what feels right for you and creates more joyful moments in your life.

Note: I am not a therapist or doctor of any kind, shocking I know.

Each singular method/idea written below is either a part of everyday life, or ideas accumulated via learning over the years.

However, the collection of ideas, the way I present them and my “crazy” stories are unique.

Here are some Self-Care ideas you might like to try:

⦁ Eating and drinking when you need to, to satisfy/nurture yourself and add nutrition to your system in order to function well.

This idea is especially for people whom are sole providers.

It is important for you all, for your long-term health to satisfy this natural need.

⦁ Going to the toilet when you feel the need to go instead of holding it in, so you can feel immediate relief and encourage release of any toxins in your body.

Holding it in does not add to your self-care.

Listening to your body and acting accordingly shows your body that you care and want to feel joy and relief.

⦁ Opening windows and/or doors to feel the breeze, and feel a sense of freedom.

Allow healthy air flow through the room to increase fresh oxygen throughout the room/s.

Warm it up or cool it down, as needed to provide your self a safe, nurturing, and comfortable environment.

⦁ Be creative by doing something you enjoy in your own nurturing and unique way.

Drawing, writing, dancing, baking, cooking, painting, etc.

⦁ Closing your eyes and taking deep breaths to fill the body with oxygen and release carbon dioxide on exhale, calm the body’s systems, lower pain levels in the body, and allow blood flow to increase

⦁ Listen to or watch something that increases empowerment, makes you feel at peace, and encourages positivity about yourself and your future.

This helps to increase the positive feelings in the body, mind, and soul, and may allow the mind a sense of clarity while eventually leading your to a sleep or rest state that your body will thank you for

⦁ Sleep, to increase function of the entire body, mind, and soul.

⦁ Put on a piece of clothing, style your hair, and/or put make up on to help you feel good about yourself or simply to nurture you and have some fun.

If you don’t think you look good, find a space by yourself in the house, remove your clothes, and look more closely at all your wrinkles, scars (if you have them), stretch marks from growing or for other reasons like pregnancy, and then realise that all those things are life showing you what is normal.

Story:

I have had 5 surgical operations

I have extra fat on my body even though I am my average weight.

I have wrinkles on my face.

I hardly ever use foundation even though I have moles all over my face and body, and I still look in the mirror and say, “this is life, this is normal, I am beautiful so take me as I am world”.

Well perhaps I don’t always say that.

Part of me, that relates to the outside world sometimes thinks, “wow, you are definitely not super model material”.

Afterward, I feel glad I am not a super model because I love enjoying nurturing foods.

I enjoy milk chocolate as well, it is nurturing for the soul, but perhaps not so much for the body and mind, unless I choose dark chocolate which I have in my cupboard.

If your health is at risk, perhaps it is a good time to start doing something different to increase self-care.

But even so, love your body, love your mind, love your soul, love everything about you because this is your body, and you are the only one that can rock at being you.

⦁ Make yourself a soothing beverage, hot or cold, that will make you feel nurtured.

Chamomile herbal tea (helpful to relax and feel sleepy), peppermint herbal tea (helpful for digestion), hot chocolate, tea, coffee, and juice, are some ideas of what may feel soothing for you.

⦁ Dance around the room to music that lifts your spirits or causes you into some kind of trance, that allows your body to move freely and release some tension, while feeling free.

Story 1:

I can dance infront of people without need of alcohol or anything like that.

I love free-flow dancing.

I feel embarrased if people are watching me while I dance, and sometimes people ask me what I was doing because they weren’t too sure. Haha.

I don’t often dance infront of people though, it’s just if I end up in that situation.

At home I dance freely, enjoying the fun and excitement I experience.

A few people have told me that they like my dancing, which is nice.

Story 2:

In the city on New Years, I was dancing freely in a crowd of people, no alcohol needed as usual.

People around me were probably wondering what others were thinking about them.

Or perhaps they were concerned about me because I was having so much fun and dancing non-stop for hours (without drugs, although my hormones were on a bender at the time).

A lady I randomly spoke to for a couple of minutes told me before she left that evening, that she felt I had such a beautiful and joyful spirit, which was so lovely to hear.

People can really make a big, exciting difference in other’s lives just by saying a few words.

⦁ Go to a cafe, even by yourself and have a drink.

Getting out of the house while sitting, enjoying a beverage, looking around, and thinking alone in a cafe may sound boring and lonely, but getting out of the houses, observing your surroundings and people being “normal” can lift your spirits.

Saying hello and smiling at someone genuinely, can help both people to feel a sense of calm, relief, and connection, even when the other person may look like they are about to punch someone or you in the face.

Story:

I say hello to people sometimes because I feel like it, or perhaps I just simply smile their way because I know how much of a joyful difference that makes in my day.

Sometimes people seem glad and smile back, and even talk.

While others look at me as though they are ready to give someone or me a good kick.

Other times people are in their own world and only notice that someone smiled and said hello to them while they were walking further away.

I have had people turn back and then wave after they realised I was talking to them, even though they were 10 steps away.

⦁ Allow yourself to feel and express yourself in your own personal way.

This can lead to you feeling relief, nurture, care, and clarirty.

Actions like crying when you are sad allow the body to relax in various ways, decrease pressure in areas such as the chest and throat, and also help to lower pain levels in the body.

 If you feel like you need to release something and your not sure how, you could write it down, visualise the issue in your mind being resolved, or you can imagine being at peace with the situation.

Afterward, rip it up, throw it in the rubbish bin, yell ‘die’ or simply say something like,”I release you”, and then pour a little water or tomato sauce on to it to make it official

Or perhaps clean out your fridge and put all the rubbish on top of the note.

As you say goodbye to whatever you are releasing, allow yourself to feel any and all emotion that comes up.

Nurture yourself and know that emotions and feelings are normal and healthy, and then throw the rubbish out.

It is gone symbolically which means that one day, the issue or thing you need or want to be released from, or feel peace about can become reality.

This is more of wishful thinking but even things that represent symbolic peace can be powerful enough to feel actual peace.

⦁ Cleaning your room/home. I know, it sounds like a crappy idea!

However, cleaning does provide a sense of nurture when you are using self-care and being gentle on yourself while doing it.

Cleaning in silence, other than your mind churping away can be therapeutic and provide space to allow thoughts to scroll by in your mind.

Cleaning is also a symbolic version of cleaning up the mind, and as you pick things up off the floor, clean the dishes, or clean the shower drain (eww), thoughts can connect together and realisations can come about.

Sometimes realisations suck because you didn’t want to know what you just randomly realised.

However, realisations about yourself, your life, or something going on around you can be helpful.

Without knowing something that is important and relates to you, you have no reason to make changes if you need to, in order to increase joyful moments within your life.

⦁ Use hand cream on your hands to encourage a sense of nurturing and letting your body know you are taking good care of your skin.

Your body is always wondering when you are going to take good care of yourself on an on-going basis.

• ⦁ Punch a soft pillow on top of a soft bed and make growling noises :-), in order to feel a sense of relief of anger, personal heightened stress levels, or frustration, or even to relieve heaviness felt around the shoulders and neck (unless the heaviness is due to injury).

  ⦁ Using essential oils with carrier oil (like sweet almond oil) to rub on the body (dependent on the essentail oil), such as the chest, tummy, or back.

Method:
In a dark coloured glass bottle bought from the pharmacy, mix Lavender Essential Oil (5-10 drops) with Sweet Almond Oil (20mls).

Lavender is often calming, helps to sleep, helps to lower pain levels, and can allow emotions to flow more easily.

Stop using it if you notice any skin irritation. I have sensitive skin over all and this mixture along with Clary Sage (5-10 drops) for hormonal balance, pain relief feels healing and nurturing.

Note: Clary Sage is not recommended during pregnancy, but is safe and may be helpful during and after birthing.

⦁ Write down your thoughts and/or what you are gratful for.

Or write a letter to someone you wish you wrote a long time ago, even to yourself and send it or not.

You could write all the things you hate or feel hurt about.

Creative writing overall is a physical release, which can help relieve heavy emotions and thoughts, and can help you find clarity in your own situation.

⦁ Self-expression in a nurturing way (without harming the self or another), increases joyful feelings, life satisfaction, understanding of the self, the feeling of acceptance, and so much more.

⦁ Communicating with people whom you enjoy being around is nurturing and increases your likelyhood to use self-care tactics.

When you feel good about yourself, you end up using more and more self-care tactics overtime.

⦁ Be “crazy” or incredibly self-expressive, whatever that means to you.

If “crazy” means to ask someone out on a date that you have been thinking about constantly, do it!

Rejection may suck but it is better than thinking about it every day and night until you finally ask when you are too old or they have found someone else and are getting married.

Lets face it now, if the person says no then you know its time to start fantasising about someone else

Or perhaps “crazy” is running over your neighbour whom is happily lying down next to their massive swimming pool that you don’t have, with a ride-on lawn mower.

Please remember that self-care also relates to caring for your emotional and psychological needs, and if you ran over your neighbour you would end up with an overwhelming storm of emotion, that will lead you into a pit of madness, including heavy physical symptoms.

Madness to me is different from “crazy”.

Perhaps me thinking about the fact that other people may imagine something like that, or me sharing that scenario was me being “crazy” in this moment.

Oh and of course, there is the issue of harming the self-care situation of the neighbour

Just thinking about running them over is probably safer for everyone, and just enough to hopefully release it from your mind or make a joke about it so you can start thinking about how kool you are, or go and have fun dancing “crazy”.

Anyway, do something that feels “crazy” in a good way.

“Crazy” may mean to be your apparently silly self and make jokes all day.

Perhaps you have been too scared to be yourself because you think people will think you are weird or people have told you that already.

People have told me I am weird, is that a surprise? Haha!

We are all weird in our own ways, some of us simply express our inner-selves more than others

Have fun with your self-care tactics, while remembering you are worth self-care and you can rock at being you, if only you could see the amazing that you are.

Self-Care wishes to you,
Amanda