What are some critical thinking strategies for self-care?

In our fast-paced world, self-care often becomes a sidelined notion. It begins with identifying our self-care goals. Is it improved mental health, physical fitness, or perhaps a better work-life balance? If your goal for example is stress reduction, consider practices like mindfulness or yoga, and measure your progress through daily reflection or mood tracking. It's crucial to ask ourselves, "How do these self-care practices contribute to my overall well-being?" and "How do they reflect my core values?" By doing so, we ensure that our self-care routine is not just a fleeting trend but a sustainable and integral part of our life. Self-care is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

When I looked at self-care, I reminded myself to be generous and gentle with myself. I can be my harshest critic and put the worst pressure on myself, so I remind myself that I have value and that self-care is important.

In my experience, if l am not okay in myself, how can l help others. Self care is vital in this line of work. You have got to put yourself first. If we are unable to reach out you are not at one with yourself and are putting others at risk, being congruent is the answer. There is no shame in asking for help or guidance, that is what makes us stronger.

Self-care looks different at different stages of the year. Framing self-care around the seasons is helpful. Right now, as an example cooking warm nourishing meals and buying myself a pair of good quality wellingtons (which just arrived) to wear in the woods is an act of self-care. Be patient and go slowly

Reflecting on your self-care needs can help in identifying and prioritising your physical, emotional, and mental needs. Evaluating your existing self-care routines can determine whether they are adequately meeting these needs. By combining your reflections with self-compassion and kindness, you can identify where there are gaps in your self care and begin to set yourself realistic and achievable goals.

Before taking any steps to make a change, acceptance is an essential piece of self-care, and something we must actually practice. It's easy to skip that step, but unless we accept where we are, fully and completely, it's difficult to ever move beyond our current circumstances.

As a student, I often felt overwhelmed with assignments, exams, and academic pressures. I knew I had to assess my situation and prioritize self-care. Reflecting on my strengths and weaknesses, I realized I was good at time management but neglected my well-being. I then looked at the opportunities and threats around me. The workload, peer pressure, and fear of falling behind were challenges, but I found support from friends and teachers. Identifying stress sources, like deadlines and performance pressure, helped me seek healthy coping mechanisms. Mindfulness, physical activity, and support from loved ones became vital.

Critical thinking is your compass. It starts with an honest assessment of where you stand. What works well in your current self-care routine? Where do you falter? Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is crucial. Also, it's essential to recognize the opportunities and challenges your environment presents. Are there resources you are not utilizing? What external factors are impacting your well-being? By pinpointing these, you can tailor your self-care strategies effectively. For me, self-care isn't just about relaxation; it's about creating a sustainable lifestyle that enhances my overall well-being.

A vital part in understanding what we require and how to attain it is self evaluation. You have to assess yourself with an honest approach. The world can lie to you and with a straight face. Do not treat yourself as cheaply as the world does. Be the honest with yourself. Prioritize what is vital to you at the present and go from there.

Identifying the factors that influence your action steps and performance can help. Prioritising what battles to participate in and from where to withdraw is important. Stress is merely the build up of what we don't want in our system. Taking frequent breakouts from stressful conditions influences the understanding that stress can be avoided.

You can broadly define self-care as effective ways to address stress in your life. To me, that goes far beyond aerobic exercise or yoga classes. It can mean straightening out personal finances, decluttering, or setting up a workplace with fewer distractions. I help my clients identify manageable, low-cost activities that are a good fit for their circumstances. No one needs the added stress of paying for a gym they rarely use.

We think tomorrow is the day we will start working on ourselves and guess what? Tomorrow never comes! Devoting 30-45 min to ourselves in a day is a lot to ask for? May be, may be not! Lets explore a few options and then decide: -Wake up 30 min early. This may be difficult initially but will eventually grow on you -Start with 10 min of either meditation, affirmations, breathing ritual or simple stretches and gradually increase, realistically -Start dividing work amongst your family so that you get time for yourself too. Sharing is caring after all! -Pick up your long lost hobby once a week! -Have a clean diet with designated cheat days -Socialize with friends or family -Volunteer and be part of a bigger change, if this is your satiation!

Self-care needs to fit your individuality. This fit ascertains goal achievement. Most importantly, self-care is about bringing flexibility in the body and mind. Basic step to self-care starts with aligning the routine with the circadian rhythm and then eating healthy. Taking breaks,resting and easing the body to ease the mind. Everything else follows the suit.

I’ve created a tried and tested self Love and self compassion framework which takes you through the steps. Gratitude is always the starting point and a big focus on inner child work identifying why you don’t love yourself and looking at your past experiences. There is no set time frame, pivot and adjust and just k ow that it takes time. I spend a year working with my clients as transformation and healing is not possible over night 🙏

Embracing reflexive inquiry in my self-care routine has been a game-changer. It's like having a heart-to-heart with myself. I set aside moments to reflect, delving into why I make certain choices for my well-being. I challenge my assumptions, asking, "Is this really helping me?" My trusty journal captures these reflections, creating a roadmap for my self-care journey. It's like reflexive inquiry is my compass that is steering me towards a more intentional and fulfilling self-care path.

Self-reflection requires radical honesty and the willingness to pivot when it becomes obvious something is not working out the way you thought. There is no failure, only feedback - this takes off emotional pressure and allows you to see everything as information to work with. Patience is key to achieve what you set out to achieve.

Incorporating feedback is a vital step in refining your self-care routines. It's about opening up to perspectives beyond your own. Who in your circle - friends, family, colleagues - can offer constructive insights? Engage them in conversations about your self-care goals and practices. Listen actively and consider their viewpoints, whether they offer encouragement or constructive criticism. Soliciting feedback requires vulnerability and openness. It's not just about what we want to hear, but what we need to hear.

Be kind to yourself. Your initial next steps are the ones you already know you need. The most critical voice to listen to is your own inner one.

Consider the true input of the core people around you. Are they supportive of your self-care goals or practices, or do they try to distract or deter you somehow? If they do more of the latter, you may need to re-think your connection or reduce the time you spend with them, what you share with them that's important to you, and shift the environment you're in so that it is more conducive to your desired outcomes.