Self-care is not merely about treating yourself or letting yourself have a “lazy day” every once in a while. It is about approaching yourself with kindness and compassion and taking your needs seriously. You are designed for satisfying doses of pleasure, rest, connection, and play to function at your best. Self-care activities are as unique as you are and serve to fill your cup in sustainable ways. Below, I will offer some ideas to spark your imagination.
Meditation
Many psychological studies reveal a strong link between self-compassion and well-being. This simple meditation practice below involves sending kind affirmations and well-wishes to yourself and others. Feel free to say these words out loud or whisper them internally. Breathe through each phrase slowly, with intention.
Compassion meditation May you be well and at peace. May you be at ease and happy. May you be free from inner and outer harm. May you be kind to yourself and to those around you.
Gratitude
An attitude of gratitude can enhance your life in a million little ways. Human beings are biased towards negativity as a survival strategy so an intentional effort is needed to magnify the good, the positive, and the beautiful. What brings you joy? Contentment? Comfort? Create a list of your own.
Quotes
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ― Viktor Frankl
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ― Carl Jung
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” ― Audre Lorde
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” — Carl Rogers
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ― Rumi
