A Week Of Radical Self Care

So often we don’t get a full eight to nine hours of sleep a night. We skip breakfast. We feel overworked, exhausted, and sluggish. We don’t spend enough time outdoors or exercising. We sometimes isolate ourselves instead of reaching out to our friends and loved ones. Sometimes we regret the amount of time we spend “plugged in” to our phones, our lap tops, our tablets, out video games, and our televisions. The people closest to us sometimes take a back seat to everything else on our to do lists, or worse, our cell phones. Often we don’t always do everything we know we should to take care of ourselves, which is why I have decided to spend an entire week focusing on “radical self care.”

By self care I don’t mean the stereotypical taking a bath and giving myself a home spa day, although those are nice things to do; I mean true self-care. Taking care of ourselves includes everything from getting a full nights rest to eating three healthy meals a day. It encompasses everything to do with well-being from our mental health to our physical health. It includes maintaining our relationships with others to our relationship with ourselves. I started my week on Monday (you can join at any time or even plan your own week of radical self care) and I will be practicing self care the whole week through. I hope you will join me.

There are many reasons why you might want to participate in your own self care week. perhaps, like me, you don’t get nearly enough sleep every night and you feel tired. Perhaps you need some rest after a busy work or school season. Maybe you’re healing from a trauma and need to take the best care of yourself so that you can heal. Whether you’re looking for a simple reset, a healthier lifestyle, or some rest and relaxation, a week or radical self care is for everyone.

Step One

Radical self care starts with a good nights rest and that begins the night before. Having a proper night routine is the key to a successful morning and happy day. For my week of radical self care I will be getting at least eight hours of sleep every night. I also plan on picking out my outfit for the next day the night before so I’ll have less hassle in the morning. Before bed I will be doing a full skincare routine, writing three things in my gratitude journal, and meditating for ten minutes. Electronics will be turned off a half hour or even more before bed and my cell phone will not be permitted in bed for a restful night. If you tend to scroll, swap the habit by picking up a book instead.

Step Two

A healthy morning routine is essential to a healthy day. This means no skipping breakfast for our chronic breakfast skippers (including myself). If you don’t feel very hungry in the morning, keep it simple. You can eat some fruit, overnight oats, oatmeal, or toast. You do not need to eat a lot, but you do need to start the day with fuel. If I can manage it, I like to start the day with some avacado toast with an egg on top for the protein, healthy fats, and energy.

Wake up early enough that you have time to keep your morning slow and peaceful. Listen to music, do some reading, or participate in an activity that brings you joy. That can include a morning walk, yoga, meditation, or an exercise routine. I know it is difficult, but do your best not to touch your phone for the first hour of the day. It makes the most impact.

Step Three

Time outdoors is essential to our well-being. In Japan this practice is known as “forest bathing.” A good walk in the woods or a local park gives us fresh air, healthy exercise, and slows our minds. Instead of being bombarded with another phone notification (turn that phone off), you get to take in the benefits of nature. You don’t need an hour or more to do this every day. Often, just fifteen minutes a day is enough. I enjoy a post-work or lunch time walk.

Step Four

I don’t need to tell you how exercising daily, or at least for an hour three times a week is so very good for our bodies, our hearts, and even our minds. We all know this. Then why is it so hard getting enough every week? My theory is our technology addictions. We believe we don’t “have the time,” but we have plenty of time for Instagram. Let’s reallocate that time for some exercise. It takes about thirty days to make a real habit, but you can start right now this week.

Step Five

We need to nourish our bodies the same way we need to nourish our minds. Proper nutrition is good for keeping our bodies functioning, reducing our risk for illness, and increasing our brain function. When making a meal or a snack, make sure you think of a whole balanced diet when planning each meal. Did you get in your veggies today? Fiber? Protein? Fruit?

For me, gut health is also important to my complete well-being. I cannot tell you how much poor indigestion has effected my mornings, making me feel sluggish, bloated, and even unwell. I’ve been combating this by taking a probiotic with a prebiotic every morning for ultimate gut health, eating healthier foods, increasing my fiver intake, and by taking Love Wellness Bye Bye Bloat enzyme supplements before bed every night. It has worked wonders on my overall health.

Step Six 

Maintain relationships with others. Our relationships are the most important to our happiness. Everyone needs a good friend, a supportive mentor, a positive work environment, and strong connections with family (whatever shape that family may be). What have you done lately to maintain your most important relationships? Spend less energy on the relationships in your life that are toxic and cut out anyone who is down right abusive (emotionally abusive as well) and focus that energy on the people that love you unconditionally, support your dreams, and nourish your well-being. Make a phone call, plan a meetup, or write a letter. Just do one thing to stay in touch this week.

It is also worth examining the way we make other people feel and the way that we treat others. Do you gossip? Put others down? Are you always complaining and fostering negativity? Are you an energy vampire? Focus on positive interactions to make others feel good. We often get back what we give. Not always, there are toxic people out there, but it is always important to self-reflect.

Step Seven

Maintain your relationship with yourself. We often forget about the relationship we have with ourselves. We’re constantly criticizing ourselves and putting ourselves down. Recognize each time you start to talk to yourself poorly and make a conscious decision to be kinder and more compassionate to yourself. In fact, all week long you are going to practice self-compassion, self-love, and build upon your self-confidence, and self-esteem. It is all a part of self-care, but it is anything by selfish. You must take care of yourself before you can be there for anyone else.

This week you can practice all of these elements of self-love by taking care of yourself in any form that you need. It can be as simple as making sure you have proper hygiene, seeing a doctor about a problem you’ve been having and putting off for too long, dressing for success every morning, taking extra time to do your hair in a way that makes you feel good about yourself, practicing positive affirmations, or meditating. What do you need to do to feel better about yourself, who you are, and your appearance? It’s not about fitting into a mold or looking the way you believe society says we should, but rather accepting who we are, how we look, and taking care of ourselves in a way that our best selves glow through.

Step Eight

Gratitude. Is there anything more important than being thankful for all the good in our lives? I have found that gratitude is what can turn a bad day into a good one. That gratitude combats low self esteem or feelings of not having enough. It gets us through the “gimmies” and that feeling of wanting to buy happiness because happiness cannot be bought. It is not a new outfit, a fancy car, or a Pinterest perfect house. It is about being appreciative of what we do have. Practice gratitude each and every day. Sometimes I’ll think of what I am grateful for while driving to work, before a meal, or before going to bed.

Step Nine 

This part of the radical self care week is all about mental health and managing stress. It is knowing that therapy is often the most important way that we can manage our powerful feelings and learn the tools to cope and to thrive. Seek therapy if you need it. If you only do one thing in this entire list, I hope it is this. This radical self care week is not a replacement for true therapy. At best, it can only supplement it.

Taking care of our mental health, especially when we’re facing extreme or moderate stress, anxiety, and depression, is all about reaching a point of feeling safe. In this moment, you are safe. If you are reading this now, you are in a quiet moment of security and it is going to be ok. Do what you need to do in this very moment to quiet your adrenal response. Take deep breathes. Meditating for ten minutes helps significantly to lower stress and anxiety. If you’ve been living with a prolonged sense of depression or anxiety, seek professional help from a therapist. L-theanine supplements are also helpful and very safe. Warm green tea. A hot bath. Do things right now that can soothe these overwhelming feelings and quiet them for a while. What is it that helps you in a difficult moment? Perhaps it is calling a friend, practicing yoga, or doing something you love. Don’t underestimate the power of flow while doing a hobby.

Step Ten

The last step is making sure you take care of your body from your skin to your hair to your nails. When we’re stressed or depressed proper hygiene can be left on the back burner. Bring it back into focus by setting aside extra time to clip and clean your nails. If you want to paint them go ahead. Get a hair cut of you need one. Set up a dentist appointment or any dermatologist, eye doctor, or other doctors appointment that you have been putting off. Wash you hair every other day.

Exfoliate your skin with dry brushing or a sugar scrub. Take care of your scalp and hair with soothing natural treatments. Do a face mask. Wash your face before bed each night and when you wake up. Now is the time to create a skin routine that will nourish your skin every day before bed. Put on sunscreen in the morning. Spend more time styling and taking care of your hair. Do whatever it takes to take care of you. For a lot of people really struggling, these tasks can feel too hard or time consuming, especially for parents of small children or caregivers. But it is so important for taking care of yourself.

 

 

I am sure that there is so much that I still have not covered. Our financial health, our education, and our careers are also worth considering as well as what we allow into our lives from toxic people, what digital media we consume, what types of media and content we let into our lives, our work environment, religion, and so much more. Creating and maintaining boundaries is essential. Putting in self work to heal past traumas is important. So is self esteem and confidence. Include what works for you in your own self care week, add what you need, and remove everything that you don’t. Self care includes so much it is no wonder that we often drop one of the balls, or most of them, especially during stressful times in our lives.

I hope that you will join me in my week of radical self care. I will be sharing tips and information about my own radical self care journey in the stories on my Instagram page @LiveLovelyTravel as well as some posts. Please follow along. I am wishing you the best in your self care journey.