Since we’re not generally taught about self-care and how it affects our lives, exploring what it is sheds light on this crucial topic.
Henriette Alban, N.D., well-versed in this subject as a Doctor of Naturopathy, describes her role as being “Someone who works with the body’s own healing capacities and sees everyone as a whole person, not a diagnosis or a bunch of symptoms.”
Acknowledging Stress
The harsh effects of stress on us are largely why the self-care movement is gaining ground.
“Self-care is the focus on ourselves, our emotions, our body’s needs, a way to reduce stress and return to our own center,” Alban explains. “It is meditative, mindful and looks at our body as the sacred vehicle we live in while we’re here.”
Alban notes that self-care is important, beginning with letting go of stress.
“Stress is super-effective at destroying our health, and we all have plenty of opportunity to know that,” she says. “Self-care today is no longer a way to indulge; it’s become a true necessity but, of course, cannot be forced onto those who are not ready for it.”
And without our being aware of and choosing to acknowledge stress, it’s unlikely to leave our days. Facing and naming your particular pressures is the first step in finding balance.
Tips for Practice
Ways to take care of ourselves are wide-reaching. What works well for you might not have the same degree of positive impact on someone else. Pursue whatever helps you to relax healthily.
Some examples of practice include yoga, hiking, slowing down to appreciate music, journaling, writing gratitude lists or compiling them in your mind, reading, sitting by a river and sprawling in the grass under warm sunshine.
“It’s often spending time with friends, kids, with family, playing games, laughing and cooking together in a relaxed and friendly setting,” Alban adds.
“And it’s slowing down alone, like walking in the woods, being aware of all that is alive, feeling the energy of nature, admiring the sun through the trees,” she reflects.
“Of course,” Alban points out, “when you’re in a super-stressed mode or are after a deadline, self-care is to finish the piece, to focus on what’s needed so you can relax and turn off the stress.”
Disconnecting from Electronics & Social Media
We need time away from blue-lit screens, especially two hours before sleep, Alban advises.
And anxious patterns of constantly checking devices for updates distract us from those who are actually with us.
“If all we have is the rectangle in front of us with a picture and a voice, our connection is far more tenuous, so we fill in the blanks we cannot experience — the body language we can’t gauge, the 85 percent of non-verbal exchange and awareness that occurs when people are in each other’s presence,” Alban says.
Final Thoughts
“Speak and act from a place of life fulfilling you; imagine it, and remember experiences that were happy and positive for you, even if they didn’t last,” she suggests. “Your body tunes into those feelings and creates a frequency, a positive vibration that informs every cell in your body.”
