Reflect and Nourish

“‘But in every breath …. you blow away …. your self claim the ecstasy of love … will soon arrive. ‘ – RUMI” by Nick Kenrick.. is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

We hear a lot of talk on the Internet about self-care, but what does it really mean?

Oxford Languages defines self-care as “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health,” or “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”

I agree with both of these definitions, but I also think that everyone has their own sub-definition of self-care that is personal and meaningful to them.

For me, self-care means getting in touch with myself rather than running away from myself. It means spending quality time with myself and becoming aware of my thoughts and feelings so that I can deepen my connection to both myself and others. 

Keeping the subjective nature of self-care in mind, let’s dive into five activities you can do to care for yourself — all of which you can personalize and customize to fit your lifestyle and personal definition of self-care: 

`1. Meditation and yoga

Meditation and yoga are both excellent self-care practices because they help you connect to your mind and body. By becoming aware of your breath and body movements, you can more clearly observe how you are feeling, as well as any places you are holding tension in your body.

According to Mayo Clinic, practicing meditation can help one enter a “deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind.” Benefits include focusing on the present moment, reducing negative feelings, and becoming more self-aware, among others. 

There are multiple ways you can practice meditation. You can practice formal meditation by sitting or lying down in a quiet space for a few minutes and focusing on your breathing, or you can meditate informally anywhere you are by simply bringing attention to your breathing. 

You can even try guided meditations, which may include affirmations or visualization techniques — there are many to choose from on YouTube. 

Yoga can be equally relaxing. According to John Hopkins Medicine, practicing yoga can provide numerous health benefits such as greater strength, balance, and flexibility, a healthier heart, decreased stress, and many more.

As with meditation, you have several options for practicing yoga: you can take a yoga class, follow along with a yoga practice on YouTube, or even just try a few poses by yourself (corpse pose, anyone?). 

2. Mindful walking in nature

Mindful walking is another great way to take care of yourself because it allows you to not only connect with your breath and body but also connect to the nature around you. 

In The Art of Communicating, Thich Nhat Hanh explains that walking mindfully helps us connect the body and the mind and also allows us to connect to the Earth. 

To practice mindful walking, Hanh says to focus on your breath and your step and to be aware of the movement of your foot as it touches the ground. He says that if you are fully focused on your steps, your mind is free because it is not thinking about the past or the future. It is fully focused on the step you are taking, so you are grounded in the present moment.

3. Journaling

Journaling is a powerful way to love yourself because it allows you to have open dialogue with yourself. You can take the tangled stream of thoughts you’re having and make them concrete on paper so that you can see them and understand them better. 

According to Positive Psychology, capturing one’s thoughts and feelings on paper offers a wide range of benefits such as better moods, improved physical health, better performance in school, and more.

4. Reading

Reading is a great self-care activity because it enables you to actively empathize with characters and exercise your imagination, and this mental practice may help you to understand both others and yourself better.

According to Healthline, research by David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano through PubMed has shown that reading literary fiction long-term can improve one’s ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others.

When you have an enhanced ability to empathize with others, you have a better chance of building and maintaining healthy relationships, which ultimately benefits both yourself and the people around you.

So, next time you find yourself waiting around, whip out a book; your mental and social health may benefit.

5. Creativity

Engaging in a creative hobby is a wonderful way to take care of yourself; essentially, you are connecting yourself to your inspiration, and when you’re able to nourish that connection, it feels amazing.

According to Ashley Stahl, a contributor with Forbes, creativity can help one increase happiness, reduce risk of dementia, improve mental health, boost their immune system, and improve cognitive functioning.

Whether it’s writing, painting, gardening, cooking, or music, be sure to take some time to unleash your inner artist. 

By trying out one or more of these self-care ideas, you can reconnect with yourself and enjoy the peace and comfort of being in the present moment. 

What is your definition of self-care? How do you like to take care of yourself? Leave a comment down below! I’d love to hear your thoughts.