Self-Care to Feed the Soul

Sunday is my self-care day. I don’t do anything on Sundays that I don’t absolutely want to do or need to do. Sunday is all about me and about doing exactly what I want to do.

I usually turn off the phone and the computer for most of the day and meditate, read spiritual literature, or relax in whatever way I feel like.

The weather is getting warmer here so I have been going to the beach a lot in the mornings and sticking my feet in the water to watch the sunlight play on the surface. It’s calming and awe-inspiring because nature is like that for me.

Photo by William Farlow on Unsplash

Understanding Why It’s Important

I have been told for years that I needed to feed my soul and needed to take time for myself but never really quite took anyone seriously if they told me that.

I would often just laugh and tell them that I would relax when I was dead.

It wasn’t until I started to feel run down and gain a bit of weight that I realized that I really should be putting myself first before anything else in life. My health and my own sanity should have been my number one priority all along.

But, the way that I was raised by my parents was to always help others that need it and to give 110% to anything that you are working on if you want to be successful in life.

Photo by Asif Aman on Unsplash

I had sacrificed my health and peace of mind chasing success. And the funny thing was that I was chasing someone else’s definition of success, not my own.

Helping others is a great thing to do and I still love to help however I can, whenever I can. But, I have learned to say “no” once in a while too.

Not Feeling Guilty for Making the Time

I used to feel so very guilty if I wasn’t readily available when someone needed me but I have gotten to the point now where I understand that I am my own number one priority.

No one else in this world can prioritize me as well as I can no matter how much they may love me.

I carve time out of my day every single day to journal and to take care of myself in some way. Showers or baths are always my go-to method of caring for myself because I just love water and find it to be very soothing.

Photo by Aaron Huber on Unsplash

I eat foods now that are nourishing and add good fuel to my body rather than foods that are quick or convenient so that I can rush to get back to my work.

And sleep has become a priority as much as is humanly possible. I used to pride myself on how little sleep I could run on but I don’t do that anymore. I set aside at least 6-7 hours per night with a morning meditation ritual when I wake up before starting my day.

I no longer feel guilty for not answering a text or phone call as soon as I see it if I am busy doing something for me. I will often send a quick text to let the other person know that I am busy but will get back to them.

The beautiful thing about self-care is that other people respect me and my time more now that I am not going out of my way to make them happy. I think they sense that I value myself so it helps them to value me too. It’s a beautiful thing!

Take time to care for yourselves, my dears. I promise you won’t regret it! Really dig in and find your center, we should all strive to get back to center as often as we need to in order to live life balanced and from a place of peace.

Thanks for reading!

Ivy

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