In this post
Mindfulness and self-care are something I practice daily, but I never used to.
I never really understood the benefits or what mindfulness really was.
As some of you may know, I suffer from chronic pain.
Becoming a pain management coach, doing my own research and listening to others, I discovered some years ago how mindfulness and self-care are interlinked and how much I was missing out by not doing this.
In a fast-paced world filled with constant demands and distractions, prioritising mindfulness and self-care is essential for maintaining mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
If you are in the same boat, don’t worry, I have mindfulness and self-care covered in this post just for you.
As always I love to hear your thoughts, so please comment at the end and subscribe to receive the latest posts, newsletters and FREEBIES.
What is mindfulness and self-care?
Mindfulness is being present in the moment.
It is being aware of what’s going on around you instead of being in your own bubble.
Mindfulness and self-care work together by using your senses to be present, keep calm and enjoy the moment.
This helps gives yourself permission to take time for yourself.
How often do you go out but spend the time on social media or playing games on your phone?
You have missed that moment, missed the chance to bond, create memories, enjoy the birds chirping, the sound of the leaves moving in the breeze, the smell of freshly cut grass and the sight of your children smiling.
Self-care is using these senses and different Mindfulness techniques to allow yourself time to breathe, be calm, listen to your inner self and relax your muscles.
What is self-care to you? Have a bath? Reading a book?
How often do you give yourself permission for self-care?
Why is mindfulness and self-care important?
We can get so swept up in our lives and other people’s for that matter that we lose focus of what’s important.
I don’t know about you but when this happens I get tense, my shoulders hurt, I get a headache and I’m angry and irritable.
My mental health, relationships, and emotional and physical well-being are clearly affected by not being mindful and not giving myself acknowledgement and the attention I need.
Understanding Mindfulness
Benefits of mindefulness
Calming technique
Improves focus
Builds a stronger bond with ourselves
More compassionate with ourselves and others
Enjoy the moment
Improves quality of sleep
Improves memory function
Better coping with thoughts and emotions
Improves relationships
Reduces stress
How to be mindful in the moment
Allow yourself to stop and pay attention to the moment.
Imagine you are sitting in a park.
You may play with your children, you may sit on a bench and watch them or you may scroll through social media and count down the time till you can leave.
In any of these situations, you can still be mindful of your actions.
Take a moment to listen to what is going on around you, what can you smell? What does the phone feel like?
Can you hear your heartbeat? What can you taste?
Have a drink and saviour each moment, feel what it’s like for the drink to touch your mouth, how it feels and tastes as it slides down your throat.
Do you have goosebumps? Feel the breeze on your skin and through your hair.
Can you see the moon? What does the play equipment feel like?
All these and more are possible in any situation and like any new habit, it takes practice.
Some great mindfulness and self-care techniques are oldies but goodies.
Good old-fashioned breathing.
You can use the hand technique like in the image above or use the calming strategy as also shown below.
Use everything I talked about above to add mindfulness and self-care into your day to create a daily habit.
Meditation is another wonderful way to show yourself mindfulness and self-care.
I use these free apps but feel free to use whatever works for you.
Importance of self-care
In the dictionary, the definition of Self-care is ‘the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress’.
Nowadays it’s a badge of honour to be SO busy that we are stressed and don’t have time for anything else.
It sounds mad but it is true.
Don’t you agree?
Think about the last time someone asked you or you asked someone ‘How are you, what have you been up to?’
What’s the answer?
Taking time for self-care isn’t being selfish or lazy.
It’s not having an easy life or being rich.
Making time, (notice how I said making, not finding) is so important for all the reasons and more shown below.
But also because burning ourselves out is not healthy, and this is showing our children that this is what is expected of them as they grow up too.
We need to be the ones to make a change, let’s change the future for our kids by showing them how important it is to make time for yourself, even if it’s 5 minutes!
Self-care tips and benefits
Reduces stress
Exercise regularly improves mental and physical health
Improves mental health
Eating healthy
Drinking enough water
Get enough sleep
It’s ok to not do anything
Take a bath
Read
Focus on positively
Be around people that lift you not drain you
Practice gratitude
Meditate
Get outside
Enjoy something for you
Practical tips to prioritise mindfulness and self-care
Create a daily routine where you can add mindfulness and self-care into your life.
For me, this looks like:
When I wake I allow myself 2 minutes to sit or lie there and use my senses to connect with my surroundings.
Doing this Improves my mood especially if I’ve had a rough night’s sleep or my pain levels are particularly high.
If I have not mentioned I suffer from chronic pain, more specifically Spontaneous CRPS.
You can read my pain journey here.
After my workout which is my self-care, I allow myself 5 minutes whilst I have my protein shake to be mindful of how I am drinking.
For example really pay attention to the flavour, texture and feeling of my glass and the shake.
This keeps me grounded and lets my body and mind settle before the day ahead.
At the end of the day, I have 15 minutes of meditation with my husband to be calm, regulate my emotions, process the day and bond with my husband.
This also helps my mind and body know it’s time to get to sleep.
These are the times I use mindfulness and self-care every day.
Other times I use mindfulness and self-care in my day are:
- Long car journeys
- When I’m particularly stressed
- On hold on the phone
- Whilst I’m cooking
- In the shower
- On the toilet
You do what works for you.
It’s very important you set boundaries to protect your time and energy.
Let others in your household know this time is for you and you are not to be disturbed.
Remember this can be for as long as you like anything from 1 minute to 1 hour.
No doubt when you first start telling others what you are doing you will get negative feedback but this is a reflection of them, not you.
Be proud and be compassionate with yourself.
Sometimes it works and sometimes things happen which make it difficult to be mindful and achieve self-care.
Try to avoid self-criticism, you are amazing!
You are making a change for the better, you are giving yourself permission to breathe, to do what others are not.
Find activities that resonate with you and bring you joy, whether it’s journaling, yoga, spending time in nature, or engaging in hobbies.
Overcoming challenge's
Common obstacles you may find are:
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of time
- Feel fine
These are normal and sometimes these will be unavoidable.
Find ways to increase motivation and setting goals from setting an alarm for the same time each day or attaching a sticky note on the fridge or computer screen.
Even when you think ‘I’m having a great day I don’t need to practice mindfulness and self-care today’, still do it otherwise you start making excuses and potentially covering issues that need attention.
Start small with maybe 2 minutes in the morning for a week then add to it.
Consistency is key, as the saying goes.
See support from friends, family and social media groups.
Find a way to use mindfulness and self-care in different aspects of your daily life for example work, relationships and with your children.
Main points to takeaway
- Mindfulness and self-care are important to our mental, physical and emotional well-being.
- You make time NOT find it.
- Don’t forget to start small and gradually add mindfulness and self-care practices into other areas of your daily life.
- Remember prioritising your well-being is NOT selfish but essential for leading a fulfilling and balanced life.
Thank you for reading.
I love hearing from you so feel free to comment below and subscribe for more posts, newsletters and FREEBIES.
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The person behind it all
I am a Mumma of three, a Wife, a Home Educator, a Blogger and lastly a Chronic Pain Sufferer.
The most common questions I get asked are “How do I get my hair curly, is it natural?” “
“How are you so organised?”
“You must be really smart to educate your children, are you a teacher?”
and lastly “What is CRPS?”
I have suffered from chronic pain since the age of 10, it has been a daily struggle ever since.
I know thousands of people suffer as I do and I want to share what helps me and my expertise in CRPS, chronic pain and more.
So, I started this blog to share my answers to those questions, journey and experiences with you. I have always been passionate about health, personal growth, and creating a balanced lifestyle for myself and my family.
Searching for ways to enjoy life in a minimalistic way, be part of my children’s education and reduce stress and pain as a whole is important to me.
