What I learned about emotional self care
The first thing I learned is that I struggle to feel well emotionally if I am not taking care of myself physically. If I am not exercising and eating well (more days than not), then I don't feel good.
Have you found the same thing?
I realized it's critical to take care of my physical needs first. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but now it has become a way of life. And no, I don't succeed every day. I'm human - I get off track sometimes.
Like a lot of people, it was hard to exercise consistently.
I learned that I just needed to develop a habit of exercising 3 times a week, first thing in the morning - whether I feel like it or not - and then it just becomes a way of life. I actually started to look forward to it (some days).
BUT I gave myself an out - if I absolutely hated exercising after 10 minutes, I could stop. But you know what happens - 10 minutes in and I'm starting to feel a little better so I keep going.
This can work for you too! I have learned that this works, so I now encourage you to try it.
Don't wait for the motivation to exercise to show up. If you're like me - it's not coming any time soon!
Just commit to 10 minutes and keep going - then guess what - you feel motivated AFTER you exercise. Remember how you feel after exercising and this can motivate you TO exercise.
I now exercise 4-5 times a week and it's just a part of my life (aka self-care). I always feel better afterwards, and that's what I try to remember. I don't pay any attention to if I want to exercise or feel like exercising - that's irrelevant now.
The second thing I learned is that I need to eat healthy foods to feel well physically and emotionally. I have learned from some of the best - Kris Carr (cookbook: Crazy Sexy Kitchen) and Cherie Calbom (book: The Juice Lady).
I went to an I Can Do It Conference in Florida almost 3 years ago and listened to Kris Carr speak. She is a vibrant woman who is living with a rare form of cancer (Stage 4 in remission for years). The #1 method of healing for her was nutrition - juicing, gluten-free, and vegetarian eating.
Her cancer inspired her to take better care of herself!
I was not doing ANY of these things when I heard her speak. She was so inspiring, and in no way pushing these ways of eating, but just telling her story.
I was so motivated by her message (and I didn't have health concerns), that I went into the lobby and bought her book (Crazy Sexy Kitchen) because I was worried it would be sold out by the end of her talk. That's how inspired and motivated I was! I have become a green juice convert and eat mostly vegetarian and gluten-free now and love it.
So even though I'm sure we're all tired of hearing about the benefits of exercise and nutrition, I encourage you to consider taking a look at this again with fresh eyes and maybe check out the books I mentioned or others on this topic.
Why? Because once you're feeling better physically, then the path to emotional self-care is a piece of cake (no pun intended) and the next logical step.
How would you like your physical self-care to be different?
If you decided to make one small change, what would it be?
What would change if you were physically healthy?
I just gave you 2 tips on physical self-care. Tell me the one that stood out for you and why in the comments section below.
If you know someone who would benefit from this blog, please share it with them.
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Hi! I'm Beth Matthews. I'm a Registered Psychologist who is driven to helping people feel better about themselves. I help people who are struggling in their lives gain an awareness of how they can cope with anything that comes their way. With my easy-to-use strategies, you can feel better and be your best you!
matthews77@shaw.ca
780-721-9157
thepsychologysite.org
