Making Self-Care a Priority

About a month ago I joined a group that meets weekly via conference call. One of the things we have to report is our self-care for the week. I always have it in my mind that I strive for wellness every day. But, until I had to report it each week, I didn’t realize I really wasn’t doing a great job on self-care.

The ideas of wellness as self-care and as a necessity has made me re-think my priorities. With the added motivation of accountability, I have realized that I need to make self-care a priority.

There are several components of wellness. Each one is so important in different ways and all include self-care. Ideally we would be balanced in all areas of wellness. However, realistically it is hard to focus on all areas. Often we fluctuate in up and down cycles in each area.

This is a typical Wellness Wheel…

It includes the major components of wellness. I like this one because it also includes a cultural component, which focuses on being non-judgmental and trying to understand and appreciate differences. If you click here or on the wheel above you can read more about each area and do your own assessment.

The beauty of making self-care a priority is that if you stick with it, the changes become habit and then a natural part of your life.

I decided to make my emotional well-being a priority last year. Now instead of beating myself up when I mess up, positive self-talk is a normal part of my thinking,. I also researched green living and decided to make changes. Now using natural household products, following the dirty dozen rules, eating real food and drinks, and just being aware of the environment are a normal part of life.

My husband use to really love drinking Coke. I never thought I’d see the day when he gave it up. I am happy to report that he did give it up last fall and has only drank water since. He made other healthy changes that are now part of his lifestyle and lost 20 lbs in the process.

I wish I could take even a small piece of credit for his lifestyle changes, but I had nothing to do it. He made the decision to make self-care a priority and made the necessary changes in his life. He also had the accountability of several co-workers who were also making healthy changes, which was key!

Some things are easier than others to maintain. As things change in our lives, so do our wellness priorities. And that is okay. The important thing is to always focus on at least one aspect of self-care.

I had established a regular exercise routine until about 4 months ago. Towards the end of my pregnancy and the two months since the baby has been born, exercise has not been a priority for me. It needed to be, but it wasn’t. Now it is. More on this topic to come – I need extra motivation and accountability!

The other self-care routines I have been trying to concentrate on now are –

taking a bath once a week for relaxation & meditation
writing in a gratitude journal
reading a daily positive quotations book before bed

I am trying to start small with my new self-care routines in hopes that they will stick and turn into lifetime habits. Once these routines are established, I’ll add something from another component of wellness. My goal is to always prioritize self-care, no matter how small the behaviors seem to be. It all adds up.

Prioritizing and accountability seem to be two key factors in our changes!

Is accountability a big factor with your wellness? What are your self-care routines? Do you have tips for prioritizing wellness and self-care? Please share!

Love,

Molly