HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Published by Barbara Ratti in take care of yourself · 9 August 2018
Tags: SELF, CARE, WELLNESS, SELF, ESTEEM
Tags: SELF, CARE, WELLNESS, SELF, ESTEEM
If you want to take care of yourself, first know yourself.
There are a lot of things you can start doing to take care of yourself. You can find useful lists of interesting actions and products on the web.
I can give you my TTP and some personal and useful advice from my experience and I love to do so, but it’s my duty to tell you that just because something is working for someone else, it doesn’t mean it will work for you.
Because the truth is that only you know how to take care of yourself completely. Only you know yourself. Your needs. Your fears. Your strengths. Your thoughts.
Maybe you aren’t completely aware of yourself or maybe you know yourself, but you can't find the right way to satisfy your needs. In both cases it’s time to start digging within yourself.
When you are aware of your thoughts, words, emotions, and behaviour, you will be able to find the right way to take care of yourself.
I suggest you try three of my TTP and you can download them here. My TTP takes only three minutes. But it's long enough to start your self-awareness.
Self-awareness is the most important skill for self-care. When you know exactly what you need, you can choose a small action that will make you feel better.
For example: finding a quiet moment for yourself, saying no to someone, speaking with someone about a problem and asking for help, or finding some tips about how to sleep better.
Having a nap is no use if you need to learn to say no to your annoying friend. If you are not aware of your real need you will be frustrated even after your nap!
By discovering your real needs, you will learn a lot of aspects about yourself.
When you feel something wrong about yourself or you are in a bad mood start to ask yourself what your real need is. At first you need to repeat the question to yourself several times before you find it but don’t give up and day by day it will be a little clearer and easier.
See yourself as you really are.
It can be very difficult to accept how you really are but when you do, you learn to accept yourself and find some strategies to improve yourself.
When you begin to know yourself, you must accept that you might find something you don't like. You believe you are a certain kind of person, and you discover that your preferences or your tastes are different. Sometimes it can be a delicious surprise, but sometimes it can be a bit of a shock! Don't worry, if it happens it means that you are doing everything just right.
When you discover something that surprises you, don't run away from it but observe it and accept it. Accept it even if it is unconventional, silly or spoiled and immature. We are sometimes a little bit silly or immature, but it doesn't matter. The important thing is knowing ourselves and accepting every aspect of our personality because when we know ourselves, we know what we want and above all what we don't want.
If I know that when I'm tired I don't like to stay in a place full of people because I feel anxious and unhappy, it will be easy to choose what do when I'm tired. I will organise my rest time in quiet places or do something alone.
Knowing what I need for myself, I can set my priorities and my boundaries. Priorities and boundaries are essential to living a healthy, happy and productive life.
Start discovering everything about yourself and accept every aspect. Don’t judge yourself! If it's a surprising aspect, take your time, observe your behavior and accept it. One day you could decide to improve yourself but for now, observe it and accept it.
Practice some moments of self-reflection every day.
Write your thoughts and feelings about some important moments in your day: a success or a failure, a disappointment or a deep connection with someone who you love.
Ask yourself what your values are.
Tell yourself the truth. Break out of social conditioning and things that other people believe. Find your values.
If you tell yourself the truth everything can change. You can feel a real connection between your inner self and your actions. It’s a powerful feeling.
Stay focused on your values and expect to find an answer.
You have finished when you find a solution that really satisfied you.
Barbara.
