Many would agree that life is not easy, which is an understatement. Our world continues to change, moving in and out of chaos and peace. However, the more my soul expands and my mind grows, the more I understand how vital it is to be grounded in those times of uncertainty.
Within this last year, I've been through things I could not understand or explain. Yet, I've had the amazing opportunity to discover who I am and who I want to be on the other side of a very challenging season.
Whether stressed, anxious, or sad, taking care of your emotional well-being is paramount to being a healthy and well-grounded human (for yourself and others around you). Here are five self-care ideas I want to share with you, that have helped me navigate difficult emotions and find balance within myself.
1. Go for a Peaceful Nature Walk
Connecting with nature is a powerful way to find peace.
While I won't publicly share the private things that have happened in my life recently, I will tell you that my place of peace and rest is in nature.
At the time of this post, I live by a busy road. So, I put in my earbuds, block out traffic noise, play soft music, sit in my rocking chair or on the ground, and allow my body and mind to fall into peace.
Nature calms me and helps to put things, emotionally and mentally, into perspective. It is my sanctuary and the haven where my soul connects with Divine Love and Light, and where I release my heavy emotions. Sometimes, I do a prayer walk or lay under a tree and watch the leaves gently blow in a light breeze. Being outside always brings balance to my nervous system.
The sun's warmth and energy help me feel surrounded and safe to surrender any emotional or mental blockages. Even the rain is soothing to my soul.
If you don't like being outside but enjoy the sounds of nature, I encourage you to download Insight Timer. This is one of my favorite apps for meditation, music, nature sounds, or guided meditation. Best of all...it's FREE!!!
You can pay for a premium subscription, but if you're on a budget, you can get thousands of meditations, teachings, music, and songs to listen to at no cost!
Below are a few photos I took outside my home on a beautiful sunny day. I cannot express enough how healing this is for me.
2. Ground Yourself
When emotions run high, grounding techniques can help bring you back to the present moment.
Grounding can go along with being in nature. I didn't understand what grounding was until a couple of years ago, and once I made this a practice, I've never been the same. My mental and emotional health has continued to improve.
Find a quiet place, sit or stand comfortably, and focus on your breath. (I like to sit or stand barefoot on the ground outside.)
Notice the sensations in your body. If you're outside, how does the gentle breeze make you feel? How do you feel as the sun warms your body? Notice how the ground feels stable under you. You can also try grounding exercises like naming objects around you out loud, taking in deep breaths, or feeling the texture of a blade of grass, a leaf, or soil. If you're inside, what can you see or hold that anchors you to find peace in the present moment?
Grounding anchors you in the now and can help calm turbulent emotions, clearing internal chaos, to help you think from a stable mental space.
When I'm grounding myself outside, sometimes I use a five-finger mantra combined with a prayer walk and soft music in my earbuds.
I would love to share an example of that mantra here with you!
While sitting, walking, or standing hold out one hand and look at your palm.
For your hand and each finger, give it a one-word affirmation that means something special for you.
For your hand...wholeness.
Then your thumb...order.
Pointer finger...coherence.
Middle finger...clarity.
Ring finger...strength.
Pinky finger...love.
Memorize the words with each finger until you no longer have to look at your hand. You can even touch each finger, to connect touch with memory. It works!
Wholeness, order, coherence, clarity, strength, and love. Even though I may feel chaotic or imbalanced, I remind myself that the experience I'm facing doesn't define me. I define me. Those emotions are part of me but they're not who I am. It's just how I feel in the moment. Mantras like this help my body remember what I carry inside and strengthen me to overcome confusion and other unpleasant feelings. It's okay to feel negative emotions. Just don't allow yourself to stay in them for too long.
You can do the mantra above on one hand, or both hands, or include your feet! Ground yourself in whatever way helps you and makes you feel better. Create a ritual just for you. This is what self-care is all about.
3. Do Creative Journaling
Journaling is a powerful tool for processing emotions and gaining clarity.
I know journaling isn't for everyone, and if you are not one that journals, that's okay. There are other creative ways to self-care and create.
I have loved journaling since I was a girl! When I sit down with a blank sheet of paper I feel like an artist in front of a blank canvas, ready to paint something beautiful, bold, soft, or abstract.
Journaling is a deeply private and wholesome way to release emotions and encourage creativity. Your mind can empty onto the pages, relieving your heavily burdened soul.
Years ago, my daughter hand-crafted and gifted me a beautiful journal for my birthday. I deeply cherish it every time I use it. During an emotionally turbulent time, I used scrapbooking material, cutouts from an old planner, saved birthday cards, coloring book pages, and stickers to alchemize my emotional pain into self-empowerment!
Below is that journal and some of those entries. This is a powerful way to get to know yourself, to work with life's challenges instead of against them, and to create the reality you want to see within yourself and your life. You are a powerful creator, and those moments you spend in creativity will transform your mind and life.
Journaling is a way to accept what you can't change and still move forward into who you want to be and the life you want to have. Even if nothing is changing around you, YOU are changing! You are stronger than you realize and I encourage you to use journaling to bring awareness to that strength and the creative power that is YOU!
I encourage you to sit down with a notebook, journal, or piece of paper and pen and let your thoughts flow freely. Try incorporating the creative elements mentioned above. Expressing your feelings in this way can provide a profound sense of emotional and mental release, helping you understand your emotions better, and possibly the difficult situation you may be facing. This is a powerful way to care for your mind and emotions.
You have the right to create peace within yourself!
4. Draw a Relaxing Bath
Unwinding in a warm bath can work wonders for your mental state, possibly improving your emotions.
I wasn't much of a relaxing bath person until recently. I even bought a bath bomb the other day. When I now relax in a bath, I always use Epsom salts with essential oils. I highly recommend this!
The Epsom salts may help release physical pain and inflammation and reduce stress on joints and muscles, relieving areas where you may have bottled up tension on stressful days. Our bodies can also give us signs of our emotional and mental health. ( I'm not a medical professional and make no medical claims.)
Draw yourself an Epsom salts bath, light candles, play soft music, and mindfully let go of tension as you soak in the warm calming water. Tell yourself, "I love you and I value your needs." You can even incorporate the mantra listed above.
This simple self-care option may help soothe your mind and body, promoting a sense of tranquility, relaxing your nervous system, and centering your thoughts. You are worth every minute to relax and recalibrate your nervous system!
5. Connect to a Song
Music has the power to evoke emotions and uplift the spirit.
Personally, music has always played a significant role in my mental health. During difficult emotions, I rely heavily on instrumental music. My go-to selection, right now, is meditation music with solfeggio frequencies, music with nature sounds, or Lofi chill.
I can't handle a lot of music with words right now, and that's okay! I'm giving myself grace and I'm listening to my body. I want to respect what my internal world feels most at peace with. Note: self-respect is also self-care.
What are your go-to songs, music, or genre? Create a playlist of music or songs that resonate with how you feel, and would bring you the most peace. Through music, I have brought myself out of very dense, heavy feelings to a place of serenity. Music can be a source of solace and can help you process complex emotions.
Incorporating these self-care practices into your routine can be instrumental (pun intended) in working through difficult emotions. Remember, prioritizing your emotional well-being is not selfish; it's a vital aspect of self-care. How can you be who you need to be for your loved ones, if you are not who you need to be for yourself?
Take time for yourself, listen to your needs, and give yourself the compassion you deserve. Embrace these self-care ideas, or create your own, as tools for finding balance, mindfulness, and inner peace.
Remember, you are worthy of your love, kindness, and respect. 🌿🛁🎶📝
I'm sending love and hugs from my heart to yours! Happy self-care!
Love,
Charity
In the above journal pictures, I used cut-outs from an old 2022 Bloom Daily Planner as part of my self-encouragment. I used that planner and loved every inch of it! Bloom has beautiful planners, among other accessories and stickers.
Enjoy planning your daily self-care routines!
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