I I know sometimes I must sound like a broken record. I repeat myself over and over again to my clients, my students, my friends, my family. And I will say it again. Self-care is not an option if you want to live a happy and peaceful life. Especially if you are a sensitive and empathetic person.
SCaring for elves, of course, includes the obvious elements, such as a nutrient-dense, plant-rich diet, plenty of exercise, and good hygiene. Neither is optional if you want to maintain good health.
TTo maintain happiness and inner peace, self-care must also include emotional and spiritual practices. My daily practices, which I share below, help me stay centered, focused, optimistic, connected, creative, productive, peaceful, and happy.
TThese are the tools and techniques that work for me. With most, I mix and match, depending on the day, the amount of time available and my emotional / spiritual needs. Some practices, like meditation and gratitude, are non-negotiable and I do them every day.
SUBWAYMost days I usually do at least 4-5 of these techniques. Some days I just do 2. Other days I can do them all! Some are so quick, or so easy to fit into my day, that they don’t require “overtime.” And truth be told, when I don’t do anything, which happens from time to time, I feel completely out of place, out of focus, and anxious. So I use a checklist to keep track of my progress. I’ve learned the hard way, it’s not worth deviating.
VScreate your own plan. Take any of the following techniques that work for you, add your own, and put them in your pockets throughout the day. Choose at least one activity, such as meditation, to do every day, no matter what. Neither activity takes a long time. And, as long as you splash them throughout the day, it will optimize your energy.
Meditation I practice some form of meditation, every day, for 10 to 60 minutes. Some days I do two or more shorter meditations. Insight Timer is a great free app that I use to time my meditations. It comes with an extensive library of sounds, bells, meditations, and music.
Abundance meditation For this meditation, I use The book of abundance, by John Randolph Price. It is a little green book with 10 statements of principles. I meditate at first a day for 15 minutes, for 40 days or more. This helps me stay in a rich and spiritual frame of mind.
Gratitude meditation Closing my eyes, I meditate for 5 minutes on something for which I am grateful. It may be something that I already have or would like to have. This sense of gratitude feels really authentic and really great.
Goals I write my goals by hand, in the present tense, expressing my gratitude for reaching them. This feels good and helps me stay on top of my goals. I write down my goals almost every day. This takes about 10 minutes.
Morning pages Originated by author Julia Cameron, the morning pages are 3 free-flowing handwritten pages each morning. They are invaluable in clearing the mind and causing a creative flow.
Yoga or exerciseExercising in the morning invigorates me for the rest of the day. Movement is crucial for efficient energy flow, lymphatic flow, strength, anxiety release, and more.
Heart breath I add the breath of the heart whenever I feel trapped in my head. Heart breathing helps me get out of a busy and overworked mind, into the peace and calm of my heart. It is a great tool to reduce anxiety. 1 minute or more.
Uplifting reading At some point in my day, I find time to read. Sometimes it is related to work, but it is always uplifting.
Uplifting listening This includes music, podcasts, Hayhouse Radio, audio courses, and more. I like to listen when I make dinner. This helps me stay in a positive and optimistic frame of mind.
Tapping with EFT This is a practice for any time of the day, as needed. EFT Tapping is perfect for releasing anxiety, tension, fear, sadness, or any other unwanted feelings that may arise.
More gratitude Gratitude is something that can be expressed in many ways throughout the day. In addition to my 5 minute gratitude meditation, I enjoy spontaneous moments of gratitude, or write a gratitude list, or a thank you note, or just say thank you, thank you, thank you while doing something that brings me joy. Gratitude helps me feel more connected to the spirit world. And the more grateful I am, the more I have to be grateful.
Nature walk Nothing better to please the senses and calm the soul.
menjoy! And get in touch, let me know what works for you!
In courage,
Mariana