Wellness | Self Care Is... 

 

 

We live in a time when most adults are now grasping the importance of self care. 

Self care was not part of their upbringing neither was it part of their school life.

I've had to learn to embrace self care in my adulthood. 

My childhood consisted of waking up, walking to school then walking back home to house chores then later homework and sleep for 4-5hours and up again.

Self care and rest were not part of my childhood. It was wired in my subconscious.

In college, whenever I went to house parties, I never allowed myself to just relax and enjoy. I would go to the kitchen and immerse myself in some cooking and dishwashing.

Now as an adult, I have freedom and lots of time to myself. 

This freedom has given me a chance to do a personal inventory, focus on my inner growth, be still and discover who I am.

In this process, I've developed a self care routine that has been very effective in my healing and self-awareness journey.

Honestly, I enjoy life more and I'm able to focus on my personal growth as well as slow down and take life one step at a time.

Let's talk about my definition of self care.

Self care is….

Checking in with yourself. 

Every Sunday, I dedicate 1-2 hours of mental and emotional health check up.

My digital journal has 2 sections for mental and emotional health; the Brain Dump and Emotional health.

In these sections, I ask myself: "Hey baby girl, how have you been feeling this week?" Then proceed to write everything that impacted me during the week both the good and bad.

Checking in with yourself releases suppressed emotions and thoughts. 

Releasing these thoughts and emotions declutter your mind and heart to make room for positive vibes.

One thing about emotions is that they cannot be buried. One way or another, they will come out sometimes positively and other ways negatively.

 

Sleeping

Sleep is a very crucial part of rest.

Sometimes, well… most of the time (because social media or communication never rests) you find yourself having one email to send or call to make but once you start, you won't stop.

Switch off your phone, laptop, iPad or tv and hit the hay sack for a 1-2 hour sleep.

When you sleep, your body replenishes its strength, repairs worn out tissues, relaxes your mind and heart and reduces anxiety or tension.

Your skin tissues also repair themselves and your mind uses this time to organize your thoughts.

So yes, get into your duvet or blanky and enjoy that slumber. It works in your favor.

Meditation

My morning routine consists of meditation after reciting my affirmations and prayers.

Just 15-20 minutes of silence and listening to my soul always gets me geared up for the day.

I always feel lighter, more positive and enthusiastic.

Meditation sets your soul free and keeps you grounded in who you are. This is because you are connecting to your inner-self.

All the answers you need are already inside you, just listen.

Skin and Body Care

As you take care of your inner-self, also take care of your outward-self.

I have a regular skin care routine which consists of organic skin care products and drinking 2 litres of water daily. My body is so used to the water intake that it automatically signals me when it's time to take water! 

I workout thrice a week and it gets me energetic, releases tension and gives me a positive attitude. In addition, I always feel fit and sexy! 🥰

We all like to look good and feel good. We admire people who have healthy, radiant skin and fit bodies. But, it all requires work and consistency.

Your body and skin need you. So take care of them.

Talking to your loved ones

Human connection is part of self care and self love.

In order to keep ourselves grounded in our human nature, we need people who love and care about us.

Saturday afternoons are for calling my loved ones especially my bestie, favorite cousin and aunty. 

The conversations are always filled with laughter and my aunty always has the latest gist on who did or said what. 😂

I also use this time to call my mentor's son who is grappling with college life and offer him advice.

Pick that phone or take some time to talk to your beloved. They will be delighted to hear from you and spend some time with you. 

Showing up is all they need.

 

 

 

 

 

I am Leila, lead writer at Let's Talk Blog. I am a feminist and a self love enthusiast. I believe that self love is the beginning of healing.

 

 

Blog link: https://letstalkblog2015.blogspot.com

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