"Self-Care is AN ACT OF Survival" - Audre Lorde
Hey there! Thanks so much for being here!
When I heard this quote, "Self-Care is an Act of Survival," my body and mind let out a huge sigh of relief. I admit it. I've felt guilty in the past for "indulging" in a ton of self-care. But lately .... lately .... I've realized I've been ahead of the trend.
Self-care is the antidote, the cure, the answer, the preventative measure to the big, bad STRESS RESPONSE. Getting ahead of stress with radical self-care is indeed an act of survival.
Let's take a breath and take a moment to visualize.
Imagine. You're taking immaculate care of yourself: nourishing your body with nutrients from fruits and vegetables, engaging in purposeful and joyful physical activity and tending to your soul with wellness and stress-relief techniques.
How good would you feel in the world?
How would that impact your relationships, your career, your positivity, self-confidence and physical body?
So good, right!?!
Self-Care is really important!
But it can seem so hard. It's so hard to get used to the idea! But it's tempting .... right?
Could you see yourself doing it? I can.
Now don't fret! It's a skill you build over-time, like anything. It's like learning a new language, playing a new instrument or figuring out how to rock your new job.
Once you practice a few of these self-care strategies, it becomes routine and can actually *save you time* in the long-run, by providing you with renewed energy, positivity and long-term health and wellness.
How does lack of self-care impact food choices?
Imagine times when you are:
- hungry
- angry
- lonely
- tired
- sad
- stressed
Boom = you're probably going to have intense food cravings for highly caloric foods. This totally happens to all of us! This is science! And boy, it was DEFINITELY happening to me just before my Florida vacation. I was over-booked and felt my self-care slipping. Check that out on Instagram here.
But let's say your feeding yourself with self-care first. The best version of self-care can you can afford from a financial or time perspective (remember, some days are better than others and every day is an experiment).
When you're filling your cup with self-care, you're much less likely to crave the "bad foods" as comfort. Instead, you're tackling the root of the issue, rather than the symptom.
A zen home has helped with self-care and stress-reduction. Yes, that's our spring reindeer.
Self-care is a great way to control cravings without using willpower!
Self-care is an umbrella for all good things you're doing for yourself. It in turn impacts your relationships, career, spirituality, finances, exercise habits, nutrition, creativity, learning ability and long-term health.
>>> Click here to download the free list of my "Top 29 Self-Care Strategies", my gift to you! <<<<
Fill your own cup first, right?
This goes wayyy beyond nutrition - to relationships, deep-held beliefs, personality types, achievement mentalities. I could go on and on.
So much of the work I do with my private clients is supporting them to stand up for themselves and their self-care. It's a hard adjustment to make, but I promise you, it's worth it. It's an investment that pays back and I KNOW investments! (Yee haw prior career in Finance).
You can find more self-care inspiration and tips on my Instagram and Blog. I'm currently writing a book on Self-Care .... so stay tuned for more information in this space. It's a H-U-G-E passion of mine.
Peace, veggies and self-care success,
XO!
Michelle