Over the weekend I was reminded of a crucial ingredient necessary to surviving any kind of adversity in life; self love. Often underrated, even discouraged and touted as being selfish by society, I feel compelled to share this gold with you, as you negotiate your own personal circumstances to survive this isolation season, because this is something I really struggle with.
Many of you may relate to this; I was always taught to serve others first, even at the expense of my own basic needs.
While having a servant heart is a beautiful gift to the world, there is also a reason why we are encouraged to put our oxygen mask on first in the event of an aircraft emergency.
To put it in another way, as one of my mentors often reminds us, you can’t fill a wagon from an empty wagon.
One of the ways I have begun to fill my own wagon and transform my life has been through my daily habits. What has blown me away recently is that when you commit to a habit, become consistent and complete a certain body of work in any area of life, you begin to discover patterns or secrets to unlock new levels of success.
One such pattern I have noticed is the overlap of advice and success principles I have come across through my daily reading habit.
Darren Hardy addresses the concept of self love through daily self care in his book, The Compound Effect, and in the book, #MaxOut Your Life, Ed Mylett shares a detailed account of his own self care routine for boosting productivity, success, contentedness, health, capacity and self image.
Both authors highlight the need to fill one’s tank early in the morning to set the right tone for the day, before the momentum of the day gets rolling.
So with the support of my husband, I now protect time in my mornings to care for me, so that I can be the best version of myself to serve others. It’s definitely a work in progress. After 9 months of gradually easing into it, we have finally made the adjustment to beginning our day just after 5am.
So to those of you wanting some ideas of things you can do from home to support your wellbeing alongside a nutritious diet, exercise and a restful sleep, here is a list of things I have been finding beneficial:
?Feed Your Mind:
You are the product of your thoughts. This is, of course, influenced by what you are reading and listening to. Instead of flooding your mind with news articles, why not fill yourself with positive content?
https://podcasts.apple.com/…/dichotomy-podcas…/id1458940975…
https://www.ted.com/…/brene_brown_the_power_of_vul…/up-next…
https://www.ted.com/…/brene_brown_listening_to_sha…/up-next…
https://books.apple.com/nz/book/above-the-line/id991670208
?Stretch:
Love stretching but short on time? Then this free 30 day challenge is for you.
?Be Mindful:
Mindfulness is a key skill to get control of your racing thoughts and emotions.
This 21 day guided meditation, Finding Hope in Uncertain Times, is particularly pertinent in the current global climate of uncertainty.
https://chopracentermeditation.com/…
?Get Out in Nature:
We are creatures of nature and being outside amongst it is very beneficial for a general sense of wellbeing. So get your socks off and feel the grass under your feet, get out in your garden, do some weeding and touch the soil with your hands, if you live within walking distance of a body of water, go walk by it. We have a forested piece of urban conservation backing our property and it feels amazing to spend time there.
?Take Some Time for Yourself to Recharge:
Maybe a bath in some Epsom salts to relax those tense muscles is in order or if you like to dance it out, get some music cranking and hold an impromptu dance party. Everyone recharges in their own way. Create some space in your week to refill your emotional fuel tank.
?Stop Taking Life So Seriously:
Laughter really is the best medicine. Finding a way to see the lighter side of life is so important for one’s health. One thing I find irresistible is baby laughter. Maybe for you it’s dogs jumping over towers of toilet paper.
?Be Careful What You Profess:
Finally, what are you professing? Your words are powerful, so watch your tongue. Declare the outcomes you want and let them guide your actions throughout your day. Declare it then share it!
#LoveYourself
#YouMatter
#DoingLifeTogether
#ALampForYourFeetToLightYourPath
#TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork
#ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords
#InputEqualsOutput