Four Self-Care Tactics to Create A Healthier Mindset
Hello all! Today we’re talking my favorite topic- Self-Care. A human being without Self-Care is like a sunflower without sunshine. Here are some quick self-care tactics to create a healthier mindset.
Tactic 1. Write yourself thank you notes. I know this one might sound really weird to some of you but I think it’s an important one. Our society is so self-critical. We are constantly comparing ourselves and our bodies to other people. “I wish I had her stomach” “ I wish I had their job” “ His life looks so much easier, I want that” etc.. This constant bombarding takes a toll on our mental health which also impacts our physical health. It’s much easier for a lot of people to pick out 10 things that they don’t like about themselves than 5 things that they do. Isn’t that so sad? So I invite you to write yourself or your body a thank you note. I write ten thank you notes every morning and always try to include at least one to myself. It doesn’t have to be anything profound. Just anything you are genuinely thankful for. “ Thank you, my body for my curves” “Thank you, to myself for persevering through what I’ve been through” “ Thank you, to me for being alive.” “ Thank you, to my body for having freckles.”
Tactic 2. For every negative thing that you see or read, search for something positive as well. We are bombarded my horrifying news and graphic social media posts. It’s not a bad thing to stay informed. It’s good to know what’s going on in the world. However, it’s healthy to find some balance. There is so much negative, scary, and triggering content out available for us to consume. This tactic isn’t me trying to make light of all of those huge things by pointing out that positive things happen as well. This is a tactic that I use in order to protect my own mental health so I can still function to be an advocate for things that I care about. I’m not going to be a help to anyone if I’m too emotionally burnt out to function. One of my favorite ways to do this is once I’ve read or watched a gut turning news story I immediately look at the subreddit Eye-bleach. It’s full of cute puppies and other wholesome content. So, next time you read a news story about another awful thing said by some awful politician. Look at pictures of cute baby animals afterwards.
Tactic 3. Find a mindfulness tactic that works for you. I’m a huge advocate for meditation and yoga. But those aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe you can try taking a few deep breaths every morning. Look up different breathing exorcises and try a new one every day. If you do like the idea of yoga but don’t know where to begin. Look up beginner classes in your area or yoga on youtube. If you are going to practice yoga at home (or anywhere) remember the golden rule: if it hurts, stop. Yoga should not hurt. You may feel stretched or sore but it should never hurt. Everyone’s body is different and some poses may just not work for your body or you may need a modification.
Tactic 4. Establish a creative outlet. You don’t need to consider yourself an artist or a creative person in order to do this. Just find something that you like to do, that brings you joy and a sense of calm and do that. You can paint, sculpt, knit, sketch, or draw. You can create videos or audio art. If none of those sound good maybe cross stitch or doing makeup does. Or writing stories or poetry. You don’t have to be good at any of these things or any other creative outlet that you choose in order for it to benefit you. This can be a hobby for you and thats okay.
Thank you for reading!
With Love,
Kate Anderson
Co-Owner of Nordic Moon
