“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”

Jean Shinoda Bolen

I have found that in order to maintain emotional and energetic health, it is so important to make self-care a consistent priority. So often we hear of self-care as related to physical pampering and beauty activities (which I am a fan of, don’t get me wrong!) but it is so much more than that. To me, self-care is really any activity that leaves you feeling emotionally and energetically refreshed, nourishes your mind, body, and/or soul, and leaves you feeling like the best and highest version of your self. There is no right or wrong way to do self-care as long as you end up feeling rejuvenated and more happy and balanced as a result of whatever you choose to do! Another thing to note is that sometimes we put off self-care because we feel like don’t have time for it in our busy day. However, doing something simple and quick like taking two minutes to take deep, intentional breaths can be enormously helpful in times of stress and counts just as much as self-care as a day at the spa.

In order to make sure that I am taking the time for self-care in whatever way I can depending on the circumstances, I keep a running list of all different kinds of activities that refresh me that I can reference if I every feel stuck. Some of these activities are quick, some take longer. Some are about pampering myself and some are more about diving deep, looking at challenging things, and healing. I thought I would share my list in case anything on it inspires you!

The List:

Meditation – guided meditations, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditations, just deep breathing

Energy work

Journaling of various kinds – venting, introspective, higher self, gratitude

Listen to healing music or attend a sound bath

Creative Projects – coloring, jewelry making

Therapy, or connecting with other professionals who can provide support

Read Self-Help and Self Growth Books

Read stories with characters that inspire me

Walks in nature or sitting in nature for grounding

Inner child healing

Watching inspirational media and youtube videos

Curating my social media to only things that are positive and inspiring

Shadow work

Writing a list of what I can appreciate about myself

Goddess Baths and other beauty rituals

Pulling tarot or oracle cards and journaling

Nourishing my body with foods that make it feel good

Use products that feel luxurious to me – smell good, feel good, lovely texture

Use fashion and make-up as a way to express myself

Use color in my clothing in ways that energize me and support chakra balance

Compliment myself and other people. Making someone else smile always feels good!

Moving my body in ways that feel good. Doing Bar Method. Dancing around the house.

Have a picnic outside

Garden or arrange cut flowers

Declutter and organize my living space

Clear and cleanse my self and my space energetically with smoke or sound.

Reconnect with friends who are supportive and in alignment

Find art I appreciate

Travel – going for a drive, taking day trips, or planning a vacation

What are some things that you enjoy for self-care? What are your struggles with it? A whole other aspect of prioritizing self-care is whether or not we love ourselves enough to feel worth giving ourselves care. If you find it difficult to give yourself permission to take time and do what nourishes you, it is worth examining what underlying feelings and beliefs are coming up for you around your worth and whether or not you can let yourself receive. We’ll dive into this a bit more in my next blog post!

Sending you love,

Liz