Self Care Rituals

What are the things you do daily to nourish your mind, body and soul ? Do you eat clean meals? Do you workout or meditate? Do you often feel burned out? How hydrated do you keep yourself ? What activities do you specifically do to cater to your personal needs?
Our modern hectic lifestyles can cause imbalances in our body and mind that show up as anxiety, digestive issues, lethargy and depression. We all have our coping mechanisms (caffeine , sugar, alcohol , nicotine) which work well as quick fixes but end up creating more stress and depleting us of our natural energy in the long run.

What Is Self Care?

The idea of self care may be foreign to many of us. We may feel like we don’t have enough time or deserve any time for ourselves. Self-care must not be confused with being selfish. It involves checking in with yourself before catering to other people and drawing healthy boundaries. Self-care is highly personal and can have different meanings for all of us. It can mean anything we do to take care of our mental, emotional, physical or spiritual wellbeing. Self care isn’t a luxury that only a few can afford, it is an essential aspect of our daily life that can help us thrive rather than just survive. We can look and feel our best by nurturing our inner and outer health through holistic self care. Holistic self-care is the process of meeting one’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs in order to achieve personal fulfilment. Our body is wise and we must pay attention to the messages it sends us. The connection between our mind and body affects our life immensely. Although they may appear to be separate parts, they are both are interconnected. If you are stressed or sad, you will experience pain or discomfort in your body. In contrast, if you are in bodily discomfort, your mind will get restless as well.

Importance Of Daily Rituals In Self-care

Nowadays, self-care is in vogue and people are trying to look for different ways to take care of their mind, body and soul.As a part of their daily self care regime, individuals create rituals to help them relax, appreciate who they are, feel empowered and recharge. Self-care practises such as yoga, breathwork, art therapy and meditation have grown increasingly popular. We may need inspiration or professional help for self-exploration in the beginning and later work on building our own custom self-care rituals.

A self-care routine energises us to do tasks that we otherwise procrastinate. It involves practices that promote self-awareness and serenity of mind. Rituals are a fun way of making self-care a habit. Rituals serve as a constant reminder that life is more than just a to-do list. It is something to be cherished and savoured to the maximum extent possible. Self care rituals are routine lifestyle activities that we indulge in daily to create a sense of wellbeing and balance.
Self-care routines can serve as a strong foundation for our path to self-actualisation. Daily rituals can help us cope with daily stresses and improve our physical, mental, and emotional health and overall well-being. They are our daily practices or routines that keep us focused and support our health goals. They serve as healthy habits that positively impact our well-being and promote a holistic lifestyle. Self care rituals can be practiced daily, monthly or annually to serve as a road map to fulfil our visions/goals. The first step is to put them on our calendar and designate time to them. You can start by making a list of all the activities that bring you joy, happiness and restore your balance. We can take baby steps by building up one practice per week and reflect on how we feel after.

Benefits of Self care

The World Health Organisation defines self-care as: “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” Research suggests that self-care positively impacts our overall health by promoting longevity that makes us more resilient and helps manage stress effectively. Longevity has been linked to various health practices such as:

• 6-8 hours of exercise per week
• Living a purposeful life
• Clean & healthy plant based diet.
• 8 hours of restful sleep everyday.
• Spending time outdoors in nature.

So, begin to look after your body and trust us when we say that your mind and soul will thank you!

Source: www.who.int/reproductivehealth/self-care-interventions/definitions/en/