What comes to mind when you think about practicing self-love, self-care, and mindfulness?
For most people, it's not a happy place. If you're like me, you can feel the resistance in your body and mind when those three words come up. They are vital to us as humans, but we only sometimes make time for them.
I've struggled with this myself — I have a few children and a busy career as an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, podcast and radio host, and nonprofit Executive Director. There's not enough time in the day! As much as I want to practice these things, I can't fit them into my schedule.
But then I realized something; if I want to be present with my family and enjoy life more fully, I need to start making time for it. And that means practicing self-love, self-care, and mindfulness every day of my life. My staff at Amare, the nonprofit I oversee, constantly reminds me to take care of myself, and if that doesn't push me into being mindful of my situation, I don't know what will.
Mindfulness is the art of being fully present at the moment. It's about paying attention to how your body feels, what you're thinking, and what you're doing. It can help in many ways, like embracing life with more gratitude, letting go of negative emotions, reducing stress, and managing our overall health. Mindfulness is like turning off auto-pilot mode.
Self-care is the practice of taking care of yourself to be more effective and productive.
It's not a selfish act, instead, it's essential. With it, you can meet your full potential and achieve your goals.
There are many ways to practice self-care. You can ensure you get enough sleep, eat well, exercise, and meditate. You can make time for fun and enjoyable activities like going out with friends, tinkering in the garage, hiking, or simply watching a movie uninterrupted. You can practice mindfulness and gratitude each day. The point is that you should take time out for yourself in whatever way works best for you, whether once a week or every day.
The benefits of self-care can be monumental in our daily lives and over mental and physical health. It can improve relationships, improve focus on work or school, and allow reflection on our daily lives. Societal pressures seem to be the norm in today's hustle and bustle model, but you do have a choice to improve your mental faculties by taking charge of your life and regaining the power of choice and happiness.
Restoring our soul takes action and the ability to see what's working and not working in our lives. Taking our power back to ensure we are healthy and well only makes sense and is the ultimate act of self-love. To assist and help others, we must ensure we are in optimal health or at least working on it.