Anxiety makes our bodies work overtime and this can have a negative effect on them. Self-care is a great tool for combating the stress our anxiety puts them under, but how do you know when you need to take a break?
This is where it becomes important to check in with ourselves. Once a week, sometimes even more often, I like to sit down in silence for a bit and check in. There are three ways that I do this every time.
Journal
I sit down with pen and paper and I just write. This is similar to morning pages for me, except that I really focus on my emotions. I really take the time to figure out how I’m feeling, as well as how I’ve been feeling through the week. Then I break it down to figure out what I could have done differently, make peace with what I couldn’t have changed, and make a plan for approaching future situations differently. This is my emotional check in.
Meditate
Next, I’ll turn on some meditation music and allow myself to really tune into my mental health. This is the time when I focus on my mindset, determine if there’s something I’m obsessing over, if I’m overwhelmed, and then spend some time in meditation to let it all go. I’ll go back to my journal after this to make notes of what I learned. This is my mental check in.
Body scan
Then I’ll check in with my body. This requires more silence, so I’ll sit down and scan my body. From the top of my head to the tips of my toes, I pay attention to every part of my body. I figure out what it’s telling me. Am I tired, is my heart racing, does anything hurt, etc. This is my physical check in.
Self-care plan
Lastly, I’ll take the next few minutes to determine how and where I need to take care of myself. Where do I focus my self-care? If my mental state is rough, but my physical and emotional health are okay, then I’ll prioritize some time outdoors. If I’m okay emotionally and mentally but not physically, then I’ll prioritize rest or exercise. If I need to focus on my emotional health, then I’ll spend some time giving myself a break emotionally by watching a comedy or spending time with my tribe.
Self-cafe is a really great way to take care of ourselves, but it’s not going to do any good if you don’t know where you need to focus it. It’s not all face masks and sleeping in, it’s also getting outside and spending time with the people we love. Self-care is taking care of ourselves in every aspect. So how do you customize your self-care?
The Serene Student 