What Does It Really Mean To “Take Care Of Yourself”?

What does it mean to really take care of yourself in this world today? Life can be so busy! You go along doing your daily routine not really thinking about yourself rather all the tasks at hand. Then it hits you! You realize you need a break from it all but how do you do this? We may get our hair or nails done or book a massage or vacation for starters. We may go for a walk in nature or set out for an adventure. This can certainly help release some stress in your world and allow you to come back to your everyday more recharged. I am talking about going even deeper than that.

The kind of taking care of yourself that matters the most is the kind that allows you to be authentically you! This is where you are being true to yourself and honoring what is important to you without ignoring what you need. Now that is the harder thing to do yet the most rewarding because living with the consequences of doing something you don’t want to do is worse. Some examples that may resonate with you are saying no to an invitation that your gut is saying you don’t want to do or speaking up for yourself rather than squashing your voice thinking it won’t matter anyway. Another example, is setting a boundary when necessary with someone who is taking advantage of your good nature. In any of these scenarios, the reason it makes it so difficult to do is because you fear the outcome.

It is harder to take care of your needs when you risk having to be “uncomfortable” with another because it may cause conflict. That right there is ours to own! This is what taking care of yourself is really about! Honoring what you want for your own life matters! Listening to yourself is one of the best gifts you could give to yourself. Your God given instincts, your body and your spirit will all guide you to what feels right within your soul and what doesn’t. Once you discover what that is for yourself then you can take the appropriate action to take care of yourself.

The first part is about being aware of what you need in the first place to be true to yourself. The second part is about learning how to tackle the “discomfort” of allowing yourself the space to do this but how? Recognizing your own self talk is critical at this point! You may want to give in or say forget it it’s not a big deal. The truth is it is a big deal because if you don’t listen to yourself you are compromising your own integrity. You deserve to give yourself what you need. You are not responsible for the way another responds to it but you are responsible with how you respond to it. Your self talk needs to be supportive allowing the space for necessary change to happen. Pay attention to this especially when going through a challenging time because it is a catalyst to taking care of yourself. By combining a well needed break with positive self talk you will be so proud of yourself for respecting yourself enough to honor what is important to you! To put it in perspective, imagine how you would feel if you don’t?

Something to think about:

Is there something I can do to take better care of myself?

Affirming thoughts:

My needs matter. It is ok to allow myself what I need to take care of myself. I give myself permission to take a break. I will be better for it when I return. I set boundaries that preserve my own sanity. I speak up for what is important to me. I honor how I feel. I support myself with my own positive self talk. Everything works out to my highest and greatest good. I respect myself enough to listen to myself.