Have you ever been praised for putting yourself last and seeing to the needs of others before your own? It is often a trait in women that is congratulated and in turn this can mean that it makes us feel guilty when we dare to put ourselves first.
I think it’s time to re-consider what should be a priority.
Today I want to invite you to put yourself first! It is vital, you deserve it and you need it. Most importantly: if you do it, you will have more to give!
Being true to yourself and your needs is essential for your happiness and therefore essential to the happiness of your loved ones. You can’t pour from an empty cup, right?
Why it’s important to nourish yourself first
By nourishing yourself first, you fill yourself with love that you can then share with others. In doing so you teach your loved ones the importance of looking after themselves too. Being kind to ourselves gives us the ability to be kind and caring to others.
Self care is vital for everyone, especially for women. It is so easy to loose yourself in other people’s needs. It sneaks up on you, even if you don’t mean to. I was adamant that I will always look after myself, but when I became a mother I soon found out how that is all very well in theory, but damn hard to practise! Especially if you are too often praised for doing the opposite.
Let’s find moments in your everyday life that you can use mindfully to nurture yourself first. Without guilt. Without apologising for it. It needn’t be much if you feel you struggle enough with fitting everything else in. How are you meant to find time to look after yourself properly in all this mess and those endless to-do lists? I hear you. I’m right there with you. But it is possible! And the more we practise the better we get at it. It doesn’t have to be a whole spa weekend away. The little choices we make everyday can mean a world of difference.
10 ways you can practise self care today
Be kind to yourself.
Here are 10 ways you can practise self care today. Mostly kitchen related :).
They only take a moment and cost next to nothing:
Plate up your food with care. Make yourself feel like you are sitting in a cafe. Not every time, but as often as you can.
- Be mindful of what you eat and whether it nourishes your body.
- If you really want chocolate, have chocolate. No substitute, but also no guilt and no regrets.
- Take time out for your meal. Breathe. Eat slowly.
- While you nurture your body from the inside through what you eat and drink, you can nurture it from the outside by taking care of your skin. Use natural, luxurious products like a luscious body mousse.
- Keep note of a few websites that provide recipes you like. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the immense resource that is the internet. By being clear on what you like and focusing on that, you can cut through the noise and don’t get too distracted.
- Make a quick hand scrub out of 1 cup coarse sea salt, 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 4-5 drops of essential oil like lemon, grapefruit or bergamot. Keep it in a jar by the sink in the kitchen and allow yourself 1 minute of gentle hand exfoliation after doing the dishes.
- Make a cup of herbal tea. Choose calming herbs like camomile, peppermint or lemon balm or treat yourself to a good quality organic calming blend.
- Take a walk outside. Breathe deeply. Stretch.
- Sit or lie down, close your eyes and listen to your body for a moment. Tune in. Everything starts with you and your needs. Find out what they are. Big and small. They are all worthy, because you are.
I’m sending you love, a hug and give you permission to put yourself first.
Katrine x
