Where do I begin?
Sometimes we feel guilty about taking the time required to take care of ourselves, so getting started with self-care can be challenging. The primary part of it is knowing and the acceptance of self. Begin by doing inventory of self to discover what brings you joy, then practice what works for you. Find your “hope” by being aware and acknowledge when you are depleted or drained so you will know it is time to be refilled! A quote from an unknown author says, “You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.” Essentially it means that we have to take care of ourselves in order to support or care of others. Self-care is a time to refill our cups, by taking time to reflect, recharge and rejuvenate, so we can be better equipped to handle the stresses of life.
Indicators that you might be on empty include:
- Increased irritability
- Sadness leading to depression
- Physical symptoms: headaches, sore or stiff neck etc.
- Digestive issues
Exercise 1
Identify your personal indicators that you are empty.
What areas of your life are you running on near empty?
Exercise 2
Identify areas that are empty (emotional, physical, financial, spiritual, etc.).
Exercise 3
Take a deep breath in (counting to five) and slowly let it out (counting to 10). Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Repeat.
Note: Recognizing that you are running low, or empty is not a time to panic but is the first step to incorporate a practice of consistent self-care.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to engage in self-care. To start, get some insights into well-being by this well-being quiz to learn which self-care strategies may be especially helpful for you. Also, take the Berkeley Well-Being Institute quiz or the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) questionnaire for measuring mental well-being developed by researchers at Warwick and Edinburgh Universities. Both are free and provide immediate results.
As you begin to establish a practice of self-care it is imperative to begin with the awareness of the importance of a strength-based approach that acknowledges your cultural identity. Culture is a strong part of our lives that provides and influences our views, values, relationships, humor, hopes, dreams, and our fears. To be effective and focused on this endeavor of self-care, it is important to look inward through your everyday strength lens, and harness and amplify it before looking outward.
Strengths from culture include:
- Music
- Dance (traditional and/or contemporary)
- Story telling
- Drumming
- Humor – Riddles – Laughter
- Singing, whistling, or humming