I’m really excited to share the most effective self-care on the market….!
Are you ready…?
Wait for it….
Waaaaait forrrrrr iiiiiiit…..
…
Haha, just kidding. You can’t buy self-care.
The most effective self-care comes from that beautiful brain of yours. That brain that’s full of so much powerful consciousness, it’d freak you out if you knew its full potential.
Anyway, self-care isn’t something you just add to your cart and expect UPS to deliver a week later, it’s something you do. You can buy tools to use in your self-care practices, but self-care is the ACTION one takes to maintain whole self-health and balance -which is called homeostasis, by the way.
According to the Bloomberg Company, the dietary supplement market is projected to reach $216.3 billion by 2026. …and that’s just in supplements alone. There are countless ways to capitalize on self-care including massage gadgets, exercise equipment, fitness gear, mood trackers, meditation apps, and so on.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some self-care tools that I LOVE, and actually use on a regular basis. And I’m sure there are plenty more to discover. I have no problem with folks investing in self-care products that work for them. What I do have a problem with, however, is the false hope that these tools will magically bring health, happiness, and balance into one’s life.
Because honestly, that’s a load of horse poo.
You are a complex organism that requires a wide range of care. Making sure you maintain balance in all areas of your life is really what self-care is about.
Far too often we neglect certain situations in our lives. We’d sooner ignore seemingly minor “problems” than face them head on. If you’ve ever used the phrase, “I’ll deal with that later,” you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Consequently, the longer we ignore our deficits, dysfunctions, disorganization, and downfalls, the greater our imbalances grow. Neglecting our needs (whatever they may be), creates a nagging undercurrent that we try to avoid. And subconsciously, when we develop this undercurrent that’s creating imbalance in our life, we try to compensate with things that make us “feel good”. We like to escape. We like ease and convenience. That’s why we gravitate towards electronic entertainment, food, drugs, booze, gambling, shopping….ooo…shopping.
So there you are, with your beverage of choice, on the inter-webs, scrolling through Instagram when suddenly there’s an intriguing advertisement for the latest, greatest self-care gadget… The people who use them so look happy, energized…just how you’d like to feel.
Apple cider vinegar gummies that will blast away my belly fat, then make me happy!
A super fancy piece of equipment that will reshape my body, and make me happy!
A meditation app that’s conveniently on my phone so I can practice mindfulness any time, so I can be happy!
Which leads me to an adjunct issue I have with the self-care world; the illusion of happiness. Many believe the end game for practicing self-care are those jolly, good-time feelings.
Nope. Sorry, friend. Happiness is a fleeting emotion. It may be a side effect from practicing certain self-care routines, but it certainly shouldn’t be something that’s expected. …ugh, expectations are the worst…
You’re brain is working like a mother-lover 24/7/365 to make sure you’re running at peak performance at all times. It’s managing mechanical things like heart rate, breathing, hormone production, and digestion. But it’s also managing the more abstract stuff like sensing, problem solving, interpreting, and communication. All of your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions affect your processing program, which consequently affect your wellbeing.
Constructing thoughts and actions so they support the wellbeing of every aspect of your life? That’s self-care.
Nurturing the things that make you uniquely you? That’s self-care.
Making small adjustments to your every day life so you create more space in your schedule, mind, body, and soul? That’s self-care.
The GOAL with self-care should not be happiness, but rather functionality. Are you functioning as well as you could? Do you feel like there’s balance in your life? Are you living authentically? Do you even know what that means?
Here’s a quick little checklist to help you figure that out:
- You’re low on energy
- You dread Mondays or mornings
- You’re anxious, worried, or stressed out
- You try to escape reality with unhealthy habits
- You’re irritable, angry, or short-tempered
- Your physical space is as cluttered as your brain
- You have zero time to do what you want
- You resent people or basic tasks that take your time
- You don’t sleep well
- You feel like others are dictating your life
- Your physical health is suffering
- Your life feels too hard
- You’re lonely
- You don’t have any focus
- You feel stuck, unmotivated, or uninspired
If you answered yes to any of these, it’s possible you could use a little tweaking in your self-care game. If supplements and gadgetry will honestly bring harmony to your life, by all means, grab your credit card.
If not, maybe it’s time to do a little audit of your life.
How are you spending your time and energy? How is it serving you? What small changes could you make to bring more balance to your life?
No, seriously. Leave comment below. I’d love to know. xx
If you need a little guidance figuring out your self-care needs, check out my Quick Guide To Identifying & Tending To Your Self-Care Needs.
And if you’d like more ideas for creating Self-Care Independence, sign up for my weekly Newsletter, and receive my FREE Mindset Makeover Kit.
I love you.
I appreciate you.
Thank you so much for being here.
I'll see you soon.
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