We know that we should do it, but finding the time is quite another matter. In my quest to do my self care, I have come up with a few things that are easy to do and will make the world of difference. Its not about making big changes, its about the little details, the 1% changes you can make to improve your well being.
Get more sleep
How many of us are guilty of staying up until the wee hours? I know as a single mother, after I put my child to bed, I want some “me time”, but when I stay up late, I feel terrible in the morning when I have to get up early to do the whole school run thing and go to work. A grown adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep each night and so I aim to get to bed for 10.30 and that way I get a couple of hours for me, and a full nights sleep, and then I can function well the next day!
Chew your food
I’m not about to tell you what you can and can’t eat, what I am going to say tho is chew your food! Your stomach doesn’t have teeth! So much energy is wasted by the body trying to break down food that hasn’t been chewed properly. Food needs to be like liquid before we swallow it, this way the nutrients are more easily assimilated by the digestive system. Allowing yourself time to eat to chew your food will beyond a shadow of a doubt make you feel better. And while we’re here… taking a daily probiotic is another small 1% change that will make the world of difference. I recommend Bio-Kult.
Silence
Silence is Golden… even just 5 minutes a day of mindful silence will help calm your mind and put things into perspective. This is one that you need to practice, the mind is like a muscle, it needs to be worked to make it strong. When you first start mindful practice it can be very easy to get distracted, to start thinking about what else you need to do, when this happens, lovingly bring your attention back to your breath. Breathing in, and breathing out. You might find it easier if you count slowly to 4 as you breath in, and again as you breath out. or chant the words So Ham (or I AM) in your head. The more you practice this, the easier it will become. You can combine this practice with connecting to your womb space, but placing your hands over your womb space and holding the intention of sending love and healing to her. There is a wonderful book by the Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hahn called Silence: The Power of quiet in a world full of noise, this book changed my life.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
This is a really good one to know about, its super simple, and you can do it where ever you are, I often do it in the car if Im sitting in traffic! As the name suggests, its a technique used to free yourself from emotional troubles, and it requires that you tap, with your fingers, on certain meridian points on your body. You can do it for 5 minutes or longer, but don’t let me bumble away about it, check out how to do it here. Did you know that when you frown it closes of the channels between your eyebrows that allow the neurotransmitters (endorphins) to get to your brain, when you smile these channels are opened and the endorphins are released and you feel happier. The brain does not differentiate between a genuine smile and a fake one as it is the facial muscles that trigger the endorphins. So, it’s official, you’re allowed, no encouraged, to Fake it to Make it!
Wear a Faja
Abdominal binding with a faja is used to support the uterus while allowing the body time to repair uterine ligaments and increase circulation and nerve supply to the organs and surrounding tissues. You can wear one while you’re pottering around the house, or with a little invention, you could make it part of your outfit! It feels so wonderful to be wrapped up, and held together, like a protective belt around your womb. In the winter or if you’re feeling the cold, a faja can help warm your core and in turn this helps to warm your whole body. Faja’s are generally made of a non stretch cotton, but you can also experiment with using a fleece or wool fabric. This is my little video I made to show you how to put one on. (Contraindications: don’t wear your faja while sleeping or during your menstruation)
Be Kind to yourself
The most important thing to remember about self care, it that the purpose of it is to make yourself feel better, so if you forget one day, or haven’t done anything all week, all month, all year, ever! Don’t Panic! Its not a competition. Beating yourself up for not doing your self care is counterproductive. Simply take the opportunity to start a fresh. Each moment is new, and the present moment is all we have. Good Luck!