No matter where we are in life, it seems like there’s just so much to worry about. Whether you’re in college juggling classwork, a stay-at-home mom hoping to just be able to get a shower, a full time employee with job stressors, or someone who is trying to care for your own health needs and the needs of those around you, it’s so hard to justify slowing down and taking some down-time to relax. In many cases, self-care has become synonymous with selfish.
We’re familiar that we need to take time for our physical self-care, things like the basics of healthy food, exercise, sleep, and hygiene. Even that can be a challenge sometimes. But what about our emotional and mental self-care? And what does that even mean?
The first step to mental and emotional self-care is awareness of what we’re thinking and feeling. When we get going so fast, we become so focused on “doing” that we just don’t slow down to become aware of the thoughts and feelings that are going on inside. Then after a while, there’s just so much going on inside that it’s challenging, uncomfortable, or even downright scary to think about digging through it. So we bury it even deeper by diving into denial, deflection (noticed how argumentative our society has become?) and distractions (Netflix marathons anyone?!). Internalizing our stress in this way can lead to ever increasing stress, anxiety, depression, and unwanted physical symptoms. Life can become a joyless burden and even the things that we used to enjoy can loose their spark.
Taking time to focus on our mental and emotional needs is how we begin to process and move through these difficult thoughts and feelings. One of the best ways to begin to practice this self-care is through meditation. Most people think that meditation involves a spiritual practice, and it can, but meditation itself is not spiritual. It has shown scientific benefits of reducing stress, depression, anxiety, pain, and many many other physical symptoms. Meditation is a great place to begin a gentle practice of mental and emotional self-care.
I’m excited to announce that my online course Meditation for Beginners and Beyond is now available! In this course I’ll walk you through the basics of meditation so you can begin your practice with confidence. If you’re practicing neural retraining, this is a great course to add to your existing program with some special tools added just for you! I also include 21 downloadable meditations to get you started. I’m offering a 25% discount for members of my VIP Club (sign up HERE for this free club!) This is a great way to get started or to go deeper in your mental and emotional self-care.
I’d love to hear what tools have you found to be most effective for you in your mental and emotional self-care.
And, as always, if you’re considering one-on-one coaching, I offer a free 30 minute time to talk so you can get to know me, ask any questions, and know what tools are available that can benefit you in your wellness journey. I look forward to being able to connect with you!
