So I was reading a book recently and the author of the book was talking about these main components of health. I was reading through and figured I was working on all these areas. All of the areas except for one major one: Self Care. I knew self care was a thing and I got the whole idea that you need to take care of yourself first otherwise you will be no good to anybody else. I had learned this lesson the hard way. It wasn't until I read this book that I realized that this is a major factor in health and wellness. It's really just as important as the others and If I stopped to think about it, it was really what I was doing when I was good about the other areas of health and wellness in my life.

So what is self care? It is making sure in this crazy life that we are leading as women that we don't forget that we are equally important as all the other people we serve on a daily basis. So many women, I think, have a hard time with this one. I know I struggle with self care. I am a people pleaser by nature. I have tried to work on this because it's not always a good thing. It's good to help people and try and make situations better, but when you do this to the extreme it can be a very corrosive trait. Corrosive in the fact that while you are making people around you happy if you aren't careful little by little this will eat away at you as you compromise maybe some things yourself and before you know it everybody else is dictating your life, but yourself.

So a critical part of self care sometimes means saying no. I struggle with this, but I have got a little better. You can say no in a polite, but firm way. When scheduling appointments with work over the years I would say tell someone I couldn't get them in and I would feel guilty. In my guilt I would go on and on about why i couldn't get them in as if they needed an explanation. I have learned that my time is just as valuable as theirs so I just make a simple statement saying that I am unavailable at that time. Then I offer some time that I am able to fit them in. Giving people parameters to work in is a good thing. They will learn to follow your parameters and respect your time as well.

I have also learned that I cannot control the way people react to what I say. This has been a fairly new lesson for me. I can only control me and do what I think is right or necessary and if the other person reacts in a negative way then that's on them. This of course is if I deliver the information in a kind and loving way.

So what do we need to take care of with ourselves? Um..everything. When looking at self care I think it is important to look at all aspects of you as a person. You have a physical side, an emotional side, and a spiritual side. You have a social side, a financial side, and a mental side. You can include other areas in here as well, but you get the idea you are a complex being made up of more than what you can see on the surface. So when looking at self care you want to address all these pieces.

On the physical side of things you want to make sure you take care of your body physically through exercise and movement, eating the right foods, perhaps getting massages or making appointments at the chiropractors office or with you family physician. I want to go a step further with self care and say sometimes you can go a little too far with a good thing. For example let's say one way you take care of yourself physically is through exercise, but you exercise entirely too much. You work out every day for hours each day. Maybe you have sustained an injury and you choose to ignore it and push on through anyway causing further damage. This is not good self care. Instead of taking care of yourself you forgot to give yourself reasonable expectations. This may mean that you need more self care in another area of your life like emotional well-being.

On the emotional side of self care a big thing that we can all do is learn some stress management techniques and practice them. I won't go into details here because the last blog post was on stress management. Sometimes when taking care of yourself emotionally you also need to admit what emotions you are feeling and see if you can figure out where they come from. Essential oils are a super good way to deal with emotions. The limbic part of the brain is also known as the emotional brain and this is located right behind the olfactory system. When you smell something it is the quickest way to change your emotions. Every oil corresponds to a different emotion. You can check back here and we will have some essential oil classes online that explain more about the emotions and oils. .

Spiritual self care may be things like daily meditation or prayer. Attending church or reading a book that deals with your spirit. By the way, did you know that NAMASTE means basically my spirit recognizes your spirit? No matter what your belief system everyone has a spirit and everyone can learn to nurture it. Music can be a great way to nourish the spirit. Yoga is a great form of exercise that deals with the body, mind, and spirit.

Self care on the social side of things can be a struggle sometimes for me and people in general. Our lives are so crammed with things that we have to do and take care of: work things, home to-do lists, kids activities, spouses, parents, other relatives, bills, and the list goes on and on. I find it very difficult sometimes to be socially healthy. I have been trying to make a more concentrated effort on this one. I have found that I need to be social time in my calendar just like anything else. If I don't actually schedule social time someone else or something else will fill my time for me. A phone call with a good friend or a lunch date are great ways to get more social. AND I think ever girl should take a girls trip every so often. There's nothing like going out of town with a group of girls that you may be super close with or maybe they are relatively new friends. Either way going away with the girls is so much FUN!

Mental self care is a huge topic right now. I do think that as we have become more "connected" we have also become disconnected. We don't have as much real face-to-face interaction with people. This is not good. People that are isolated don't do as well as those who have people around them that they can interact with. Vice versa sometimes you need to take some alone time to recharge. Learning to listen more to our bodies is important. For some people journaling, small groups, or individual therapy sessions may help. I think it is important to also seek some type of treatment when it is necessary whether it be allopathic in nature or more natural. When our bodies neurotransmitters and hormones are out of whack it is hard to be mental healthy. The neurotransmitters are how our brain communicates with itself and the rest of the body. Hormones are chemical messengers that help to regulate various processes in the body as well. Finding the right kind of treatment when something is of balance is critical and no one should be ashamed to find a treatment that works.

Financial self care is also important. Making budgets and following them. Prioritizing what is necessary and what is not. Finances can be the biggest cause of stress for many people. One of my favorite financial gurus is Dave Ramsey. He has several great programs to follow to help you be more financially fit. The biggest thing I learned is that finances is all about emotions. Most people can make a budget, but learning to control your emotions around money can be harder. Taking a good hard look at how much money is coming in and how much is going out is critical. If you don't have the money, don't buy it. Train yourself to use your head and not your heart all the time.

I am sure there is so much more we can talk about here with self care, but that gives you a start. Many people may think of self care as a massage and a hot bath. These are great things don't get me wrong and they can increase your serotonin or feel good hormones and help with body aches and pains, but there is so much more to taking care of yourself. As much as I like to try and be Wonder Woman I know that I am not and sometimes I need to slow down and pay attention to myself and take care of me so then I am able to share my love and hope with others.

Much love to you all. Namaste. ZenFIt Mama