Tending to your own heart and soul is a crucial aspect of any life. We must fill our own cups before we can begin to pour out to others and invest in the goodness of our bodies, minds, hearts and souls. Self-care is what a lot of folks call this. Living a gentle, cozy life, in my opinion, is a form of self-care in and of itself. Choosing to live a life that is, in one way or another or perhaps many ways, different and countercultural to the world around us is already a step in the right direction. Today, let's chat about filling our cups and gently and mindfully tending to our own hearts and souls.
Living slowly and softly is not only a way of life that allows you to fully embrace the beauty of life's ordinary and grand moments, but it is also a way of life that is healthy. In no way is hustling and bustling about 24/7 healthy for anyone. It results in stress and anxiety and can even produce physical or emotional or mental health challenges. The cozy, gentle life invites you into a slower, softer, more meaningful way of living and its benefits are without number.
Self-care is important because we must tend to our own hearts and souls and bodies. This is not a selfish ambition when done in the right way. But, there are ways to take this overboard and neglect your responsibilities, homes and families...all of which are of utmost importance. Self-care in its best form is actually quite simple. It doesn't have to mean going to a spa and getting a massage (that would be a worst nightmare for me!) or spending hundreds of dollars. I'm of the belief, that along with most things in life, simple is best and that applies to the ways we tend to our hearts, bodies and souls. Let's chat about some of these ideas, shall we?
Slowing down is the best place to start, I believe. As Maria says in The Sound of Music, "let's start at the very beginning, that's a very good place to start." Well, slowing down in the best beginning in self-care rituals. When we physically slow down we settle our minds and hearts. If there is a need t be in a hurry, that's one thing, but when we're just going about our daily activities and tasks, we would all do well to just s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n. You aren't going to get much more done if you hurry about and you'll just work yourself up in the meantime, creating unnecessary pressure, stress and even guilt. When we take a breath and slow down, we can get our tasks done better and more thoroughly because we are putting more care into them and we can even enjoy the process as we go along.
Being gentle with ourselves is also hugely important. We do not need to put pressure or guilt on ourselves when 99% of the time it is completely unnecessary. we forget that we are human and often expect ourselves to be perfect and do things perfectly. Instead, when we live with gentleness towards ourselves, we can appreciate the way we were created and the journey we are on. Life is, after all, a journey and the journey takes an entire lifetime. When you are softer on yourself, you can even have fun with yourself. I think being able to laugh at oneself is a huge blessing! There is a quote that reads, "Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves for we shall never cease to be amused." We need to take ourselves lightly and just have fun with things...and ourselves. Be compassionate towards yourself and not critical. Oftentimes, we are compassionate and understanding to everyone else except ourselves and we are, toom any times, our own critic and worst enemy. It's time we are kinder to ourselves.
Protecting your mind and soul is critical. I don't care what type of life you choose to live, how old you are, or where you live, this is extremely important. Only let goodness in and then goodness will naturally flow out. The garbage out there in the world is loud and rampant and overpowering and coming from too many sources to count. Turn the news off, close your computer, silence your phone, unsubscribe from the newspaper or those magazines, whatever it is...take those steps and protect yourself. Your mind and soul are precious ground and they deserve to be protected at all costs. And you are the only one with the power to do so. If you are a parent, this responsibility lies on your shoulders to protect your children, and I do hope you are taking it seriously. Mind our own business and quit worrying about what everyone else and their cousin is doing or what they think about this or that. When we tend our own garden, we will have much more peace and calm and clarity of mind than we do when we are too busy being concerned about everyone else out there. We each have a garden and we need to stick to tending it alone.
Taking care of your health is important as well. Eating healthy foods and taking the time to prepare good, nourishing meals will benefit, not only your body for the good food you are putting in it but also your soul as you slow down and take the time to prepare the meal yourself. Taking proper vitamins and supplements and getting exercise is also important. Making sure to get a bit of fresh air every day will do anyone a world of good. Be sure to take deep breaths and notice the beauty of nature around you. Soak up the earth's healing benefits and drink in the peacefulness that she offers you. Removing chemicals and dangerous products from your home is also highly beneficial, and instead of using natural, healthy products, which you can oftentimes make yourself at home using ingredients you already have in your pantry. Moving to as natural life as possible is always best and tiny steps are the way to do it. Don't overwhelm yourself thinking it all has to get done and switched over in one night, but rather do a little bit here and there and soon you will see grand changes.
Creating peaceful, slow morning and evening routines brings calm to the start and end of your day. If you have to set your alarm in the morning, do so with a bit of time to spare so you're not in a rush. And, if you can, choose a happy or peaceful sound to wake up to instead of the loud blare of a typical alarm. Take the time to wake up slowly and get ready for your day in a calm manner. Calm doesn't always have to mean quiet or slow as a snail. This can mean putting on fun dance music while you get dressed but it can also mean you light a candle and have your morning by its flicker instead of bright lights. It's all about finding what suits you best. At night, make your bed as cozy as you can...make it a place you want to be to sleep, inviting and warm and squishy soft. Read a book or watch a lighthearted show before bed instead of scrolling through your phone or watching the news. Enjoy a cup of soothing herbal tea if you like that. Take a warm bath or shower and get your body clean and refreshed. Put on comfortable, cozy pajamas. Spritz a sleepy time blend of essential oils on your bed and pillows or diffuse some lavender in your room as well. Awhile before you are ready for bed, begin making the preparations for bedtime...turn the big lights off and only use soft lighting, reduce loud noises, and prepare your room for sleepy time.
Other forms of self-care include enjoying different hobbies that bring you happiness. Spending an hour knitting in the evening or reading a few chapters of a delightful novel are two of my favorites. I also love spending time in the kitchen baking a batch of cookies sometimes or making a loaf of homemade bread. Writing in my commonplace journal and collecting favorite thoughts or quotes that I have come across brings stillness to my mind at the end of the day. There are even opportunities for self-care whilst doing your daily tasks. Washing dishes by hand using a sweet-smelling soap and listening to the rain trickle down the window or with soft music in the background. Lighting a candle whilst you are wiping down the counters at night and picking crumbs off the floor. Making the bed in the mornings with the sunlight streaming in and the sound of birdsong outside the window. Taking your camera along on your daily walk to capture the beauty of nature and the earth's changing seasons can remind you that beauty is everywhere. Self-care can also be done in the company of others. There are few things more soul-filling and lifegiving than being with those you love most. Having a night of no screens and just playing cards or board games and eating popcorn or ice cream around the table is so fun. Pulling chairs around the firepit to make a circle and just hanging out in the evening chatting and laughing can fill a person's heart more than just about anything. Allowing the conversation at dinner to last long after the meal is finished...the dishes can wait until later or tomorrow, but the lingering chatter and warmth of family can't be beaten.
And finally, learning to say NO is crucial. We are not required to attend every event we are invited to or take part in every activity under the sun. We are also not required to join in the negative train that is so prevalent out there. Turn your phone off or leave it behind as much as possible. You don't need that constant connection to the world in your back pocket, nor do you need to know what is always going on. Checking it just a couple times a day is plenty enough...the other times can be spent in ways that are much more beneficial and healthy to your mind and soul. We do have to attend every debate or gossip party there is. Those things steal our joy and peace and ruin our perspectives. There is much to be said about living a quiet life...it's one of the best things you can choose for yourself and your family and yet so many don't.
I hope that you found this post encouraging and helpful in some small way. Self-care doesn't have to be grand or even done in solitude. The most important thing is to fill your cup with things that are lifegiving and soul-filling...and those things will be different for each person. But the importance of protecting your heart and soul are crucial for everyone.
Stay cozy, friends, and find pockets of delight in your ordinariness!
♥