How many of us really put ourselves first? As women it seems to be in our DNA to take care of others before ourselves, and most of us run ourselves into the ground doing it. Why? Because we don’t take the time to recharge our batteries. We all need down time, time to take a minute for ourselves, but how do we know if we aren’t getting enough down time? Well, are you tired, cranky, emotional or perhaps feeling a tad hateful? Do you feel overwhelmed, do you feel like you have no patience for the ones you love the most – your family? Do you feel taken advantage of, or that life has dealt you a crappy hand? I think we all may have felt some of those things from time to time – so how do we fix it?
First, just take a minute to breath – even if you have to lock yourself in the bathroom for that minute. Once you have your head back, I want you to think about what you do for yourself each day. If the answer is nothing, we have a problem… Life isn’t always easy, but it is a gift that we should enjoy each and everyday. We are in charge of our own health and well-being, yes ladies, one more thing for our “to do” list. We all need to nurture and take care of ourselves in order to promote feelings of well-being and happiness – here are some ideas on how to do that….but first, what exactly is Self nurturing? Self nurturing is allowing yourself to relax, have fun, and enjoy life by spending time on you, by slowing down, by letting go, and by learning to cultivate joy in your life – below are some ideas on how to do that..
- Allow yourself some private time each day, even if it is only a half hour.
- Take a long walk.
- Buy a bouquet of flowers for yourself.
- Begin to develop an intimate circle of friends and family.
- Turn off the phone and allow your answering machine to pick up your calls.
- Put on your favorite music, turn it up loud and dance.
- Call your best friend and settle in with a hot cup of tea, for a good long talk.
- Snuggle up in bed with a good book.
- Sink into your tub for a long, luxurious soak at the end of the day.
- Indulge in getting (or giving) a massage.
- Remember how you felt when you fell in love with your partner and allow yourself to recreate that feeling.
- Write a love letter (to your partner, children, parents, friends…)
- Treat yourself to a manicure and a pedicure.
- Rent a great video.
- Start a gratitude journal and express your thanks on a daily basis.
- Go to the beach. Delight and bask in the warming rays of the sun.
- or check out this site – 100 Ways to Nurture Yourself « Demanding Joy – we all just need to find what works for us.
What does having a feeling of well being mean? It basically means that we accept of our current condition or our life as it is today. It is a feeling of peace, wholeness, happiness and a feeling of being content. If that doesn’t sound like a place where you are at right now, here are some ideas on how to get there from http://www.ehow.com/how_5937265_enhance-mental-health.html:
- Create a positive thought journal.A positive thought journal aids as a daily reminder of all the good things in your life and things that you are grateful for. At times it may be difficult to remember what it is about your life that is so great but, with a daily positive journal you will be inclined to remember which, will lead to you having a more positive attitude towards life.
- Keep your mind active and sharp through learning, reading, and critical thinking exercises. Keeping up brain activity aids in the prevention of mental and brain disorders so it’s a good idea to keep your mind sharp and active through mind stimulating activities like reading or even putting together puzzles. Not only will it keep your mind strong but it will also make you feel good emotionally when you have good mental health.
- Stay social, the more social interaction (friends) people have the happier we tend to be.Back to that emotional aspect of mental health, the more social and active we are the happier we are and the more inclined we’ll be to maintain healthy and strong minds. –
- Meditate and reduce stress.Stress can lead to many physical ailments and depression especially. Make time in your daily life to meditate and take your mind off of what stresses you. Stress reduction can save you from many other illnesses and keep your mind clear so that you can focus on what’s important and what makes you happy. There are many ways to reduce stress in your life and I suggest you search for effective stress reduction techniques that you can utilize.
- Find healthy ways to increase serotonin levels like exercise or eating certain foods.Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that aids in many bodily and chemical functions within our body. Serotonin deficiency has been linked to depression and many other mental disorders, so it would be a good idea to exercise and produce serotonin. Complex carbohydrates help increase serotonin levels but, the healthiest way to increase serotonin levels are through exercise. You can also try natural supplements like 5HTP and SAMe which can help in the production of serotonin levels.
These are all things that we can do for ourselves to promote happiness in our life. So tell me…what are you going to do for yourself today??
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