Lesson in Self-Care

"You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? Because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. The point is whatever is inside the cup, is what will spill out. When life comes along and shakes you, whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled. So, we have to ask ourselves, "What's in my cup?" When life gets tough, what spills out? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or does anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions come out? You choose! Today let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, kindness, gentleness and love for others."  - Unknown

In this story "what's in my cup" represents what's in your heart. The "bumps" represents life's challenges, and the "spill" represents your reactions. The message is clear: when life comes along and shakes you, whatever is inside you comes out.

If you don't like what comes out, you can do something about it. But first, stop blaming life, someone else, or others; instead, look at how you are choosing to react to the people, places, things, and events in your every day life. Then ask yourself, "How is this working for me." It is vital that you understand that the solution comes from you. You must be willing to fill your cup with what's important and good for you. I can tell you that one of the best strategies to help you do that is: Self-Care. This I believe is the lesson of the story.

Self-care: feeds our mind, body, and spirit. It is intentional. We choose to do it. It requires that we pay attention to ourselves in all the right ways. It is unique to each person; what works for one may not work for another. We must fit it in to our schedule and make it a priority. One thing for sure, it has a positive effect on our thoughts, words, and actions and most especially our moods. It is all about the small yet significant ways we are willing to take care of ourselves. It replenishes us so we can keep on going. It's what we all need and it is Simple.

When self-care is a daily practice, what spills out  is more likely to be love, patience, and kindness with ourselves and others. Try it.

The following are some ideas of self-care for the mind, body, and spirit.

Mind

1- Take breaks throughout the day.
2- Surround yourself with positive people.
3- Make time for self-reflection.
4- Repeat thoughts and words of affirmations.
5- Read books that inspire and motivate you.
6- Speak the truth.
7- Let go of the small stuff.
8- Listen to music.
9- De-clutter. Clean out a space.
10- Escape from your own head- watch a movie.
11- Learn something new.

Body

1- Move the body. Walk. Run. Dance.
2- Deep breathing.
3- Stretch.
4- Make good food choices.
5- Wear comfortable clothes.
6- Be still. Rest.
7- Laugh. Smile. Cry.
8- Look at yourself and feel beautiful.
9- Slow down.
10- Take a long shower or bath.

Spirit

1- Pray. Meditate.
2- Journal.
3- Let yourself feel your emotions.
4- Spend time with friends and loved ones.
5- Reach out to others. Ask for help.
6- Do good and help others.
7- Take time for yourself.
8- Stop and smell the flowers.
9- Pursue your dreams and aspirations.
10- Let your values be your guide.
11- Create a gratitude list.
12- Love deeply. Say "I love you" often.
13- Fill your heart with joy.
14- Do more of what makes you happy.

A good and consistent self-care practice won't prevent hurt and pain from touching you, but it will carry you when it seems like things are falling apart.

Self-care is the healthiest form of self-protection. It is the road to inner peace. It will fill your heart with the good stuff to keep you going and make life and living worthwhile. Guaranteed!

I've included two of my favorite quotes on self-care. They inspire me to stay on track and I'm hoping they will do the same for you.

"When you regularly practice self-care, you are sending yourself a message: I am important."
                                                    - Nicole Nenninger

"We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list."
                                                    - Michelle Obama

Thank you for reading!