Starting a Self-Care Routine
We’ve all heard this line — Self-care is the best care. But what does that mean? Let’s start here. Self-care is the on-going practice of protecting your body and it can be accomplished in different ways depending on the person.
There are 6 types of self-care:
1. Emotional
2. Physical
3. Social
4. Practical
5. Mental
6. Spiritual
Why do you want to practice self-care? Two words burn out! Have you ever felt unbalanced, overwhelmed, easily distracted, angry, unsure about simple things, or unable to make easy decisions?
These were all the signs I experienced in late 2016 after losing my mama. I threw myself into work because I didn’t want to let my team down and work was the only thing I could control.
By March 2017, I resigned from my job as Marketing Director of Radio One because I was mentally exhausted. I was fighting a battle that I didn’t have to fight. Looking back, I could have prevented this had I listened to my body and implemented a self-care routine. But you live and you learn.
In speaking with Marko, he experienced something similar which he talked about candidly in our first Soul Substance Live. After he lost his mom, he coped by working. He was able to hold things together until one day his oldest sister asked a family member to check on him and he had a breakdown.
Self-care comes in many forms.
· Asking for help
· Going to the doctor
· Hiring help
· Using a babysitter
· Social media detox
· Taking breaks at work
The key to self-care is it’s a daily commitment to your well-being. We as humans have this need to help others before we help ourselves and that mindset will eventually flip. You come first! It’s a gradual process because you’re now changing how you’ve operated your entire life.
Decluttering
I started the self-care process by cleansing my living space. I vividly remember decluttering. I went through my closet and sold majority of the items on Poshmark. I realized at that moment I was hoping tangible items would make me feel better and it didn’t. Every handbag, shoe, and dress I sold; I became a little lighter.
Self-care routine
Marko’s self-care routine includes:
· Morning prayer and meditation: spiritual self-care