Stacy Walden https://tommyjohn.com 1m 351 #selfcare
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Self-Care for Navigating The “New Normal”
Balancing work, family and personal care can be very difficult due to the current climate. Now that we are all spending more time at home, creating and upholding boundaries for ourselves can be difficult. This might mean getting enough sleep, turning off the computer, or prioritizing time away from the news and media.
While many might think that spending more time getting in touch with ourselves and focusing on what we need is counterintuitive to helping others, the latter is actually true. Mental health counselors have even begun asking individuals to try to make an evident shift in mental energy by focusing on their needs, as a way to navigate the emotions that come from living during a crisis.
We’re not saying to never focus on others however as you might have heard before, one can’t successfully help others before they help themselves. Our advice? Incorporate moments of self-care into your day. Before diving further into this topic let’s begin by defining what self-care is.
The first rule of practicing self-care is that there are no expectations or pressure. Many individuals going through a crisis are often tempted to assign themselves tasks or obligations that can eat away at their emotional energy. While we’re all for encouraging a healthy lifestyle, the minute those pressures begin to detract from self-kindness, are when these common “self-care activities” become counterproductive.
Self-care has many shapes and styles and the most important part of practicing is understanding that there is no “right” way. All you have to do is find your groove and reap the benefits. To help you create a self-care routine that helps you recover and recharge from the stressors of the day, the folks at Tommy John created this visual breaking down the 7 pillars of self-care along with actionable strategies you can use to combat stress and anxiety.
We encourage you to explore these activities and devote a few hours out of your week to harnessing these self-care pillars and activities for yourself. Your mental health and those around you will thank you!
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