Conceptually we all understand that self care is necessary to our long term health, vitality and wellbeing however the reality for most of us is that it all too often becomes yet another to-do on an endless list of to-do items.
For women in particular it is also one of the first things that get de-prioritised as life takes an extra hectic turn and our stress levels start to rise.
The problem is that this is exactly the time we need to push our self care priority rating right up to the top - the mind, body and soul can realistically only operate at maximum stress and effort for very short periods of time before we exhaust ourselves and leave ourselves open to overwhelm, burnout and illness.
Self care is one of THE single most important factors in maintaining our ability to operate at our peak levels while maintaining our sense of self, our sanity, and our wellbeing.
And because it is so vitally critical, it is important we take the time to think about the various elements that make up an effective and sustainable self care routine.
Self care, when practiced in its truest and most effective sense is far more than simply participating in regular exercise and focusing on healthy eating.
It is a wholistic concept that encapsulates a range of practices designed to help us rest and rejuvenate at an emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical level, creating that all important balance within our inner, and outer selves.
Apart from keeping our stress levels manageable and burn out at bay, self care has another vitally important role to play.
When practiced mindfully, and diligently, self care creates the necessary pauses that allow us to get closer to ourselves. The very act of self kindness allows us to become more intimate with ourselves. That intimacy allows us to stand vulnerable in the face of our own self scrutiny embracing our authenticity in all its strength and weakness.
Ultimately it is about learning to love, and value the self because it is not until we realise our own ultimate and irreplaceable value that we are able to fully commit to self care as an act of highest priority.
Ready to make yourself your most important priority? Download my self care worksheet and get started!