At its most basic definition, self-care is any intentional action taken to meet an individual’s physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional needs. In short, it’s all the little ways we take care of ourselves.
When we are grieving, we are just trying to survive the moment. We often neglect our own physical and emotional needs, even when we are completed depleted. The reactions of our minds and bodies to grief can include symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, mood fluctuations, forgetfulness, loss of concentration and even despair.
Coping with all of these potential responses may be overwhelming, but there are some things you can do to manage your grief while continuing to function day-to-day.
The International Self Care Foundation created the ‘Seven Pillars of Self Care’ to recognise that self-care is a multi-faceted and multi-level phenomenon. The 7 pillars of self-care include; mental, emotional, physical, environmental, spiritual, recreational and social
Try these self-care options within the 7-Pillars we came up with that cost little to no money.
1. Take a short walk outside.
2. Ice water bath. Dip your face in a bowl of ice water. (It’s a cold plunge for your face.)
3. Drink something warm. Try to stay away from caffeine.
4. Listen to soft music. Try “bilateral stimulation” music. Create your own playlist you can access at any time. Find music that calms, restores and inspires you.
5. Read a good book.
6. Reach out to a friend that always lifts you up.
7. Go for a drive.
8. Journal about a memory that brought you joy.
10. Get a massage/give yourself a foot massage. Try a trigger point ball, massage chair.
11. Try Yoga Nidra or another mindfulness activity.
12. Turn off your phone and step away from the computer for a whole day.
13. Lay on the floor with your legs up on the wall for 5 minutes.
14. Walk outside barefoot. Pick a grassy area. (Research grounding for more info on the benefits.)
15. Dance to a favorite song.
16. Go see a movie by yourself or with a friend.
17. Make a piece of artwork-draw, paint, cut, paste, scribble. (Try our “Pour It Out” paint night coming up soon!)
18. Stretch your body. (You can find a free online instruction through YouTube, Peloton, Amazon Prime, or other workout apps.)
19. Take a day trip to a place you love.
20. Spend time in the sun.
21. Go for a bike ride.
22. Diffuse essential oils such as lavender, peppermint or your favorite relaxing blend.
23. Notice 5 things around you. (Something you can see, feel, hear, touch, smell.)
24. Buy/cut flowers for yourself and make an arrangement. Set it somewhere you see frequently.
25. Organize a small space in your home. (a drawer or closet.)
26. Spend time in nature. (Camping or a walk somewhere beautiful.)
However it is that you choose to care for yourself, it’s important that you don’t feel guilty about finding solace during this hard season. Allow yourself to feel good feelings too.
Let us know what you tried or what we should add to this list.
“Self-Care is a deliberate choice to gift yourself with people, places, things, events and opportunities that recharge our personal batterie & promote whole health-body, mind, & spirit.”
~Laurie Buchanan