Happy Valentine’s Day. A time to celebrate love and friendship by exchanging cards, flowers, and candy with your special valentines. I encourage you today to celebrate love with you in the form of self-care?
Many believe self-care is selfish; however, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Self-care practices are when you fill your cup first before you can pour it into others.
One area of self-care focus is your mental and emotional wellness. You’ve heard the saying, “if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.”
So if you don’t take time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness.
Many expressions like these seem to be overlooked and misunderstood until the point you become ill and not well.
Although you look and feel healthy, how often do you ignore those little signs by thinking of all the reasons it’s nothing?
Do you find ways to ignore the signs by self-medicating with ibuprofen or perhaps alcohol or other substances?
Your health isn’t just about what you eat, drink, or how you move it. Although that is important, better health is achieved when you manage the burnout and stress identified by mental and emotional symptoms.
How can you offset those feelings and emotions when they become too much?
I discovered “grounding” to help release overwhelm often associated with mental and emotional stress.
Begin by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position and closing your eyes, and using your mind’s eye, beginning at the top of the head and slowly beginning to scan your body. Don’t forget to breathe.
See the light coming in from the top of your crown and allow it to flush over each part of your body, starting with the top of the head, the forehead, eyes, cheek, jaws, etc., moving down the body in this manner.
If you can hold the vision all the way down to the end of your toes, sending love and light, your body will feel a subtle release of stress or anxiety and be calm and stable.
If you start feeling uncomfortable or want to stop, take a deep breath, exhale and begin again.
Use this practice anytime you need to collect your thoughts, release stress, or quickly re-energize.
Remember, when you have your health, you truly have everything! Be mindful of your mental and emotional self-care practices. Get the support and help you need.
