Getting Back Into Self Care Practices For the Mind

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to practicing self-care?

For me, it's always been practising self-care for the mind.

As much as we need to take care of our physical body, it is also imperative that we give the same level of attention when it comes to caring for our mind.

Caring for your body, is much easier than caring for your mind and spirit. Yes, we can spend hours in the gym, exercise everyday and eat the right food. But we often avoid facing our feelings, fears and emotions.

Why?

Well, because facing them can be very uncomfortable. More often than not, we simly just don't want to deal with the things that we feel. I know that I don't always love being alone with my thoughts and feelings and in the past, I would get lost in distarctions and noise, just to avoid facing them. Deny them, even.

Our days are filled with noise, deadlines, chores, lists of things to do, always in a hurry. ALWAYS IN A RUSH.

We also often overcommit, sometimes refusing to let things go.

Keeping all of those thoughts and emotions bottled up is a defense mechanism, and it's rather human nature. But sooner or later, they always end up pouring out. One of my goals this year is to come back to a place of peace mental clarity. To do that I have read a couple of self-help books and researched on how to practice self-care for the mind.

So far, here are 9 self-care practices that I believe will help our taking care of our mind.

BRAIN DUMPING

When I have a lot of things going on in my mind, I like to pour them all out in 2 ways. Writing them down in a journal or some sort of planning a.k.a., brain dumping or I blog. Brain dumping is basically a way to clear up some of that mental energy. There are a few steps to doing this. First, you write down everything that is on your mind. Second step is to organize everything into ctegories. And this is where 'planning' goes. I love to plane and I am a planner addict as well. I like to write down things to do workwise, or chores, or appointments, personal, work, or shopping lists...anything and everything that I need to accomplish and take note of, I write. Third step is to review and process your list. Put your list and plans into action. You'll be surprised how satisfying it is to have these things checked off.

EXERCISE

Ever heard of the phrase, 'healthy mind in a health body'? We all know that exercise releases those 'feel good' endorphins that help promote better mood, sleep patterns and reduce stress. Regular exercise has also been shown to improve memory and cognitive function. Cardio increases your heart rate which releases blood flow and delivers more oxygen to your brain,producing neurons that control thinking and memory. I have been religiously going to the gym everyday after work and I have noticed a change in my outlook. I feel better and I feel good that I get a good workout for my body. But more than anything else, I want to have a healthy body that is why I exercise.

DO A MENTAL CLEANSE

The idea of a mental cleanse or 'detpx' is the same as with cleansing or 'detoxing' your body. It's getting rid of and eliminating the bad things. Things like limiting beliefs, negative thoughts or energy, habits that do not serve you and negative emotions. But you have to put in some effort. A mental cleanse can include:

> shifting your focus to things you can control

> setting up healthy boundaries to protect your energy

> allowing your self to experience your emotions and embrace stillness

MENTAL STIMULATION

Research show that mental stimulation can make your brain 'young' by stimulating to connections between cells. Think of it as mental gymnastics. Do brain activity like puzzles, crosswords, math games, can all help boost your memory and improve concentration and thinking.

TAKE TIME FOR STILLNESS

When you feel anxious about something or you feel you have a lot in your mind, being still and silent can be very intimidating. We don't always like being alone with our thoughts and emotions. So we look for distractions, we keep ourselves busy, keeping those thoughts and emotions away. Once you get over those fears and embrace the stillness though, it will help you find peace and clarity.One of the best way to embrace stillness and restore clarity is through meditation. There are so many forms of meditation and you are bound something you like and suits you.

FIND WAYS TO LEARN AND CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Finding ways to learn new things and challenge yourself is an important aspect of self-growth. Wether it's doing something creative, rediscovering an old talent, or learning a new language or hobby - are countless ways to set small challenges for yourself.

DIGITAL DETOX

While digital technology was meant to improve our productivity and save time, it often does quite the opposite. It provides a lot of distraction and noise making it very easy for us to waste time. You can't be trully still if you are constantly on the screen on your phone or your computer. Spending an entire day without your phone, computer, tablet or TV might seem impossible, so just start by doing an hour digital detox. Think of soome things you love doing without involving electronics.

BRING MINDFULNESS INTO YOUR LIFE

Midfulness is all about being aware of what is in the present and in the moment. Being mindful means to not judge negative thoughts that cross your mind. Instead allow yourself to feel the and release them without judgement.

TAKE A MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Okay, so we can't always afford to take an entire day off. But perhaps you can take a few hours a week and spend that time practicing self-care for your mind. Meditating, journaling, reading, or simply sitting in a park, staring at the sky, listening to the wind, or feeling the sun on your skin.

Remember that avoiding facing your feelings and emotions will not make them go away. Caring for your mind is just as important as caring for your body.

XOXO,

Karen