A big part of self care is taking intentional steps to have a compassionate and healthy relationship toward our body through mindfulness.
So much of our mental and emotional health expresses itself through our bodies. When we are stressed, our head aches. When we’re anxious, our stomach aches. When we’re burned out, we get ill. And on and on, over and over our body tries to call attention to our overall wellness. Learning to listen to your body, recognize its signals, and address them in a healthy way through mindfulness is a crucial part of a regular self care routine.
Today I want you to think about how (or if) you set aside time each day to take care of yourself. Does your daily self care include a reflection on your body as well as your mind? Do you set aside time to sit back and assess your needs? Do you listen to your body when it tells you that you need a break? When you’re mentally strained, do you have a routine that helps you rest & rejuvenate?
When you feel an ache or an illness coming on, do you take time to reflect on the cause, what may be worsening it, etc. or do you just treat the symptoms? Imagine if you started to treat the problems at the root. How would your life change?
Start adding body mindfulness into your self care routine with a daily body scan mediation, walking meditations and more:
Take time for a daily body scan mediation:
Start at your toes and work your way up. How is your body feeling? Are there aches or pains anywhere? Do parts of your body hold stress or tension more than others? How can you help relieve it? Is there anything you can adjust in your daily routine to try to reduce the tension they hold?
Ex.: if you have frequent stress headaches, it may be time to reevaluate your schedule and find something you can drop off your plate.
Keep a health log:
You can do this manually, pen and paper style, have a running note on your phone, or download a health tracking app. If there are pains you feel regularly, try to track them. When are you getting headaches? Is it the same time every day? Is it when stress increases? Is it when you start menstruating? Keeping a log can help you recognize patterns, and finding those patterns can help you address the root of the problems.
Find movement that works for you (e.g. walking mediation):
If you are constantly tired or groggy, you might need to add some extra movement into your day. For many of us, work means sitting at a desk staring at a screen all day long. This can leave our neck aching, our eyes sore, our backs slumped and pained, etc. Finding small ways to add a little movement into our day can help with this. Take a walk on your lunch break, stretch when you get up in the morning, do some yoga to wind down before bed, etc.
Prioritize sleep, hydration & mindful breathing:
Sounds pretty basic, but most of us DON’T get the proper amount of sleep or water. Making sure you give your body its basic requirements can make a world of difference. And taking a few minutes each day to focus on deep breathing can increase circulation, which can lead to increased energy, and a healthier body through mindfulness.
“There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it.” -Elizabeth A. Behnke
