It's Self Care Awareness Month!

By - karengray
09.03.18 12:01 PM

September is Self–Care Awareness Month. This is a great time to remember that taking care of ourselves, first and foremost, is essential. We all tend to put others needs before our own and it is crucial to remember that we can’t fill up someone else’s cup when our own is empty. There are a lot of ways to look at self care. Getting a massage or taking a walk are great examples of taking time to look after our well-being. This month our articles will focus on ways that you can incorporate self-care into your every day like easily and effortlessly.


Why Does Self-Care Matter?

Self-care is something that everyone, everywhere can benefit from on a daily basis. Self-care is not self-centered or selfish. It’s about paying attention to how you feel, communicating clearly, speaking up for yourself, and making sure that you have what you need to thrive. Because when you are healthy and strong, you can be strong for others.


For many people, taking care of others is a talent that just seems to come naturally. But when it comes to taking care of yourself, all to often we ignore our own needs. When life throws you curveballs, or knocks you off your feet, it can be hard to pick up the pieces and get back on track, especially if you haven’t been taking care of yourself.


Feeling lost or broken is something many of us go through. It’s a part of life that reminds us that we’re simply human. But there are ways that you can find the motivation and strength to overcome those barriers even when you feel as though you have no strength or will to carry on. When you find yourself lost or defeated, the only way to make it through is by prioritizing self-care.


How to Celebrate Self Care Awareness Month

I plan on using this month to try a new way to take care of me each week. I'll be making changes to what and how I eat, learning yoga, getting outside more, and setting aside time each day for doing something that just makes me happy. There are a lot of small and easy things you can do to start taking better care of yourself. And it really doesn’t matter how small the step you take is, because once we start to get better, we start to get better!


Slow Down

Do you ever feel that you have been going so fast managing all the activities in your life that you felt like you were spinning out of control? It can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally, and creates in you a sense of failure and helplessness.


When was the last time you felt like you weren’t in a hurry doing something? For many of us it’s been too long. We rush from one task to the next with barely time to focus on what we are doing, where we are, what is going on around us. And we rarely have time to process events or notice our feelings about them.


Try this: Take a few moments to really look at all the things in your schedule. What are some of the areas that you can streamline your day to make time for a 5 minute rest? Put space between tasks and appointments, so you can move through your days at a more leisurely pace. If you cram less in your day and allow for some “empty” spaces, then you will find that you no longer feel dizzy from constant running. You can slow down what you are doing and pay attention to what is happening in the moment.


Be present

You can practice being present by being mindful of whatever you’re doing at the moment. Take a moment during your day and take a deep breath. When you find yourself thinking about something you need to do, something that’s already happened, or something that might happen, gently move your focus to what is going on right now, on your actions, on your environment, and on others around you.


Try this: Close your eyes and imagine you are watching leaves float down a stream. Imagine that each of your thoughts is one of these leaves and just watch them each float away without focusing any of them. Practicing this will make it easier for you to dismiss those nagging thoughts. You won’t lose anything by doing this, and you will find it easier to stay focused and less stressed.


Breathe

When you find yourself speeding up and stressing out, pause and take a deep breath. Take a couple more. Really feel the air coming into your body, and feel the stress going out. By focusing on each breath, you allow yourself to come back to the present and refocus your attention on your experience.


Try this: I teach all of my clients this simple technique. It immediately dissolves stress and anxiety. Push your stomach out. Notice that when you do that, you naturally inhale. Now, do it again and this time fill your lungs as deeply as you can, hold that full breath for just a second, and let it out slowly. Do this at least three times and notice how much calmer and relaxed you feel. There is some science at work here that causes a natural state of calm.


The Role of Hypnosis

As an added bonus to all the positive changes you can create with hypnosis, the process of being in hypnosis is profoundly relaxing, and clients have often told me that it is the most relaxed they have ever been. Many have even told me that it was a deeper relaxation than meditation.


In that relaxed state, your body slows down and begins to restore itself, just like it does when you sleep. It has been said that an hour of hypnosis feels like eight hours of sound sleep. Now, most people don’t have a spare hour every day, but with some training, you can learn to put yourself into a hypnotic trance and give yourself suggestions that will improve your quality of life, and the whole self-hypnosis session only takes 2 to 3 minutes!∎


Karen Gray is a Certified Hypnotist, a Registered Nurse, and the Director of Green Mountain Hypnosis. For more information on how you can use hypnosis to change your life, you can visit www.greenmountainhypnosis.com, contact Karen at karengray@greenmountainhypnosis.com, or call (802) 566-0464.

karengray