5 Simple Self-Care Practices for the Awakened Women
How many times have you heard that you need to find more time to practice self-care and yet the idea of finding more time seems impossible? Trust me, I get it. I am a mama of 3, with a very busy side hustle and a full time corporate gig - there is never enough time in one day and as much as you might not want to admit it, we are often a last priority.
Why is that? Why is it so hard for us to find time to practice self-care?
I know that often the idea of adding just one more thing to your plate seems laughable - not the good laugh but that hysterical kind of laugh (yep, I’ve been there). And even when we do find the time and have that bath or spa date why do we still feel a disconnect? Could it be that we have the wrong definition of self care or maybe we are just ready for something more?
Listen I know you want to find more time for yourself. I have polled many women and mama’s around this topic and the vast majority say if they had a magic wand, they would ask for more time (specifically for themselves) and energy. Sound familiar? I also know it’s hard to take time for yourself and when you do, you can be so distracted by what you “should” be doing and what’s not getting done (or being done right)- that it defeats the entire purpose and you wonder why you don’t really feel that cared for.
That is why I am going to share with you 5 very simple, but not so common, self-care practices that will have a huge impact on your life.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about this word -”self-care”, because it’s used a lot, especially in my industry and I think sometimes it can lead to women feeling frustrated. Like we are just failing at one more thing.
And although I whole heartedly believe that we, as women, need to take time to care for ourselves, I do think the idea of self care is evolving and that’s a really good thing.
No longer is self-care just about a spa day, wine with girl friends or taking a bath, we are looking for more than that (even if we don’t all realize it yet).
Culturally as women, we struggle with putting ourselves first, the whole idea that motherhood is about being a martyr and sisterhood is about never saying no and being the “good girl” is more important than following our dreams. However, more women are questioning this archetype and as Glennon Doyle so pointedly remarks -many of us are awakening to the fact that we are a goddamn cheetah (if you haven’t read her book,”untamed” I highly recommend it)!
We are seeing an awakening as more women step out into the world, as their whole beautiful imperfect selves, as more boss ladies pursue their passion, mamas ask for help, sisters set boundaries and slowly but surely women are guided back to themselves.
This is true self care and as we begin to shift our thoughts around what self-care actually is and what we actually need, the more connected you will feel. Yes, a bubble bath at night can be fantastic, but if you are doing it to just check off a “self-care” box you are missing the point. The real work happens out of the bath.
So how do we unleash this inner goddess that we all have. We need to become really good at listening to our bodies. Sometimes it’s shouting for our attention and other times it’s a subtle whisper but it’s always speaking to us.
Personally, I believe this is the ultimate act of self-care and self-compassion, when you can truly listen to what your body needs and wants - in the moment and that honouring that as much as you can.
This is actually the theme throughout all the work I do, as a coach and an educator, I guide women back to themselves. To learn to trust themselves, honour who they are, and kick some ass, as we only have this one life to live (or so they say).
So let me share 5 “not so typical” self care practices that can help you begin to tune into your body and awaken that inner goddess!
1)Track your menstrual cycle. I cannot emphasize this enough and believe this can single handily be one of the most powerful self care tools we can offer ourselves. So take out a pen and paper and begin to note how you feel each day over your 28-30 day cycle. If you need help, I have a great freebie to help you get started - click here to grab it.
2) Grounding -also known as earthing, is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth. The electrical charges from the earth can have positive effects on your body. It can be very supportive for inflammation, immune responses, wound healing and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Plus there is something so natural and basic about planting your bare feet onto mama earth and taking a few deep breaths. So take your socks off and let your feet touch the earth/grass/sand as often as possible. And yes, there is actually science supporting this.
3) Begin to remove the toxins in your home - the more you can declutter your space and body the easier it is to hear when she is speaking to you. This doesn’t need to be complicated and can start with one product or one room at a time. If you want to start somewhere, start looking at fragrance and removing as much of this from your home as possible (fragrance is the new second hand smoke). This is an area I am very passionate about (you all know I am a huge fan of DoTerra essential oils to help replace toxins in my home) and I will absolutely be talking more about this on my blog. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the oils and living toxin free - check this out.
4) Be your own coach - ask yourself questions and get to the root of the issue. For example: when you are feeling tired, instead of thinking “man, I wish I had more energy”, ask yourself “what is my body telling me right now” and/or “why am I feeling tired today?” Get curious about yourself and your body. Be like your annoying 5 year old and just keep asking why, why, why! The more you do this the better you become at discovering yourself and your body.
5) Set boundaries - saying no gives other women permission to do the same. This is so powerful. For whatever reason we were brought up to believe that saying no, means we are letting people down or that we are less of a woman. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The more we learn to say no and set boundaries, the more other women notice and will do the same for themselves. And here is something I want you to think about, when you hear a woman say “No”, or set boundaries for herself, how does that make you feel? Do you feel empowered and want to pat her on the back and say “good for you” or do you feel frustrated and annoyed? Pay attention to your relationship with boundaries, as it can be an interesting one. Again this is one of those things that the more you practice, the better you get at recognizing what boundaries need to be put in place. So start practicing - are there any boundaries (emotionally, mentally or physically) that you need to put in place right now?
I hope this has given you a few idea on how you can approach self-care in a slightly different way. So now what? Pick at least one practice, that you can begin incorporating into your life on a regular basis. Don’t wait until you feel like you might explode or you are so exhausted the idea of adding something to your plate is laughable, but instead start practicing now. You got this!
It’s not about perfection, leave that at the front door. It’s about starting somewhere, one small routine or practice, and then building upon that. There is something powerful that happens when you start to honour your magnificent body and trust me you will notice a ripple effect in all areas.
All the topics above will be areas I will be exploring further in future blogs, but if you have any question don’t hesitate to reach out. And drop a comment below and let me know which self care practice you are going to dive into - today. xo
