The Secret To Self Care

Like most things, self-care may need to be done in moderation for the best results. It can be addicting to improve, grow, and change to see results that match your ideal standards with your mental health.

Often, when you improve yourself, you may get a reward. Sometimes, you may want to treat yourself as a project so that you don’t have to face the feelings that are behind the improvement.

When you are consistently doing, you can avoid feeling. Constant self-improvement can also lead to more stress.

With lists that seemingly never end, you may also task yourself with self-improvement as a distraction.

However, you may be causing yourself stress if you don’t allow rest and relaxation as part of your self care routine.

Read More: “5 Ways To Become Your Own Loving Parent”

Growth can occur along with reflection. In fact, reflection can allow for pause. You are a person and slowing down can help your self-care routine.

In the rooms of recovery, a popular slogan is easy does it. You won’t be able to solve every problem in a day and expecting yourself to do that can lead to unmet expectations.

Sometimes, unmet expectations can lead to a shame spiral or resentment toward yourself.

If you are living in extremes and feeling like you never get things right, the result may be shame. Practicing self-care may mean you seek out a breath or pause from these extremes.

There are simply not enough hours for every self-improvement trick; eating, movement, and sleep are the basics of self-care.

There is not a quick fix or a way to magically do everything in order to achieve a perfect life. It is okay to give yourself a break and enjoy the moment.

It is more helpful to relax than to read about 5 more ways to relax.

If you are scheduling a full day of going from one self-care activity to the next, you may find yourself over stressed by attempts to self-care to the max.

The cycle can be endless, and you can set healthy boundaries to ensure that you don’t get stuck.

A self-care routine is helpful to improve your mental and physical health.

You may find that rituals like massages, acupuncture, facials, and manicures feel helpful to your overall wellbeing and mental health. However, you can take a break any time your self-care routine no longer serves you.

A self-care practice takes practice and you don’t have to get everything right to promote wellness in your life.

Be gentle with yourself. You can listen to what you most want and go from there.

Here are 5 signs that your self-care routine is working for you:

1.     Your schedule matches your interests, hobbies, and values.

2.     You speak to yourself in your own love language.

3.     You practice gratitude and meditation.

4.     You select food options that nourish you.

5.     You give yourself opportunities for movement.

Self-care is not indulgent; it reflects how you prioritize yourself each day.

Read More: “5 Ways To Self Nurture”

When you are consistently trying to improve yourself, it may mean that you aren’t able to rest and relax. Learning to sit with yourself, can provide opportunity to learn how to sit with your thoughts and give time to them.

It is okay if not everything gets done in a day. You may have to apologize for a misstep or miscalculation of time. You may make a mistake when it comes to a social engagement. You will not be perfect, and you can make progress.

When things no longer seem manageable, there is support available.

Often, your relationship with manageability can be a signal that your self-care is unbalanced. Stress levels are a good indicator of your relationship with self-care.

One of our Denver therapists can help you to shift your perspective or be a listening ear.

Self-care starts with you, and it can be managed with love as well as respect toward yourself.

You are worth the effort.

***
Written by: Randi Thackeray, MA
Clinically Reviewed and Edited by: Julie Reichenberger, MA, LPC, ACS, ACC