Practice Your Inner Self-Care
By: Jennielee Hilario Rivera
Self-care is often talked about in terms of physical activities such as exercising, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep. While these activities are essential to wellness, it is essential to acknowledge the importance of self-care on an emotional level, too.
Your mental health can affect the way that you interact with yourself and others. By practicing self-care, you can work toward taking care of your emotional, psychological, and spiritual health. This type of self-care strengthens your overall well-being and helps you build resilience for difficult situations.
One of the most important aspects of emotional self-care is developing an awareness of your own emotions. This includes being aware of your feelings by recognizing and acknowledging them so that you can better understand and go through them. Once you can identify your emotions and their cause, you can find ways to manage them. For example, if you feel overwhelmed, you can take a few moments to practice deep breathing exercises and focus on grounding yourself in the present moment.
In addition to recognizing your emotions, it is important to learn how to respond to them in a healthy way. When you are overwhelmed or feeling sad, it is important to reach out for support from those who understand and appreciate your feelings. Connecting with supportive people will help you gain perspective and make it easier to cope with your emotions. On the other hand, if you are feeling angry or frustrated, you can take some time alone to process and release your feelings.
Another important part of emotional self-care involves setting healthy boundaries. It is essential to know when to say “no” and prioritize your needs. You need to be able to recognize when you are taking on too much and when it is time to put yourself first. Sometimes, it is okay to be selfish and determine what makes you happy. Therefore, setting limits on the amount of time and energy you dedicate to certain activities can help you focus on your emotional needs.
Emotional self-care also involves taking time out to relax and recharge. This could involve engaging in activities that bring you joy and comfort, such as reading, writing, listening to music, or spending time with nature. It is also important to ensure that you have time for yourself; taking some time to rest and enjoy activities that bring you joy can help you feel refreshed and energized.
Mindfulness is another way to practice emotional self-care. It involves bringing awareness to the present moment without judgment. This can be done through meditation, yoga, prayer, and simple breathing exercises. Practicing mindfulness can help foster relaxation, boost physical health, and reduce stress. Engaging in exercise is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety while also promoting improved physical health. It can also release endorphins which make us feel better and can help alleviate symptoms of depression.
Finally, emotional self-care also involves taking care of your inner dialogue. Be mindful of the thoughts and words you use when talking to yourself. It is certainly very important to practice self-compassion. Too often, we are our own harshest critics and we forget to be kind to ourselves. Taking time to listen to your own needs, forgive yourself for mistakes, and treat yourself with the same respect you would give a close friend can have a profound impact on strengthening resilience.
Self-care has been a hot topic of discussion in recent years due to the high levels of stress and anxiety that are commonplace in today’s society, which only proves that we need to pay closer attention to what our body and mind are trying to tell us. It is important to recognize when we are not okay, as well as acknowledge that we are humans and not machines. Let’s practice self-care that makes us stronger for the next day!