Three keys to unlocking self – care 

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Three keys to unlocking self – care 

Self-care is an extension of self- help, it a big topic of late, and a growing market, in fact I read recently that the number of self- help books sold each year is about 10 million.  WHOA! 

The ultimate goal of self- care is to enhance your wellbeing and I define self-care as; the intentional practices and habits to promote better mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. 

The actual definition is: The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness. 

Seems like a pretty important topic, especially when you are a busy service professional or leader who is responsible to serve people all day. 

Self-care practices were not something that came naturally to me. Perhaps you can relate? I’ve had to take an intentional, conscious approach over the past decade to help me understand and embody self-care practices the way I do today… and I still have so much I want to learn about this space.  

Knowing where to start with self-care was something I gave a lot of thought to over the years, and I want to share with you my decision-making process.  

There are three questions I ask myself to start the intentional practices for self-care, think of them like a framework in deciding what practice and habits to apply.  

1. Where do I need balance? 

2. Is this self-care practice useful? 

3. How effective is this practice? 

An example of how this has recently applied in my life was when I identified the need for balance with my physical health. I knew how full my days and weeks were and how much I benefit from a daily yoga practice. I decided (by identifying I needed some focus on physical health for greater balance) that yoga was the thing I needed to commit to practicing and yes, it’s very useful (because I can do it at any time of the day or night from home) and its incredibly effective for me. Decision made, then commit and get on with it. 

I reckon knowing where to start with self-care is incredibly empowering and will unlock your self-care toolkit for feeling well in life. 

Question: 

If you were to ask yourself the above three questions, what would be your answer?