Building Your Self Care Tool Box

Imagine This:

You’ve had an exhausting day juggling one too many unexpected, last minute requests from your boss. The traffic on your route home was horrendous, and you barely averted a collision with some jerk who cut you off. When you get home, your mind is still reeling from the disturbing radio headlines you heard during your commute, and all you feel like doing is reaching for a glass of wine and scrolling on your phone. By the time you emerge from the Instagram rabbit hole, you realize you haven’t taken a single moment for yourself.

What if you could hit pause?

What if there was a way to navigate these stressful times with a little more ease?

Most of us can agree that we’re living in stressful times, and we often feel overwhelmed by various pressures—work challenges, family dynamics, economic strain, road rage, inconsiderate drivers, rude encounters, and distressing global political issues that feel beyond our control.

A self care routine that helps us to unplug our minds from worries and intrusive thoughts, and help our nervous system shift into a restful gear, can make a huge difference in our quality of life.

Building a self care toolbox can help you improve your health, immunity, and well being.

If you’re struggling with attention deficit issues, attachment issues, or an underlying mental health issue such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, a self care routine can reduce your stress, and help you feel grounded, and like you have more control over how you feel.

Essential ingredients of an effective self care toolkit:

1. helps us shift from a sympathetic stress response to a parasympathetic rest response.
2. shifts our attention from thoughts and worries about the past and the future, to noticing our immediate experience, including all our senses, our breath, tactile sensations, quality of tension in the body, what we hear, smell, taste, touch and feel.
3. can use guided imagery and visualization to transport us to a time and place where we feel calm, soothed, and cared for.
4. can include positive affirmations that defuse repetitive cycles of self critical, self defeating, hopeless, resentful, bitter, and worried thoughts that are draining, demoralizing, and counter productive.
5. involves activities that either calm or energize, increase endorphins or oxytocin, and enhance health and sense of self.

Practices for your self care toolbox:

1. Yoga Nidra:

Yoga nidra is an ancient practice of intentionally and systematically relaxing the body and mind. After a yoga nidra practice one feels deeply rested and restored.

My favourite yoga nidra practices are:

• “Experience Yoga Nidra – Guided Deep Relaxation” by Swami Janakananda. It’s available on iTunes
• Yoga Nidra 2: Relax Rejuvenate and ReVision by Xenia Splawinski. It’s available on audible.

2. Self Compassion Meditations:

Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer are psychologists who have done extensive research on how self compassion helps us humans be more resilient to stressful events. Their self compassion meditations are free, and help us to shift from a demanding, critical way of relating to ourselves, to one that is gentle, soothing, and compassionate.

https://chrisgermer.com/meditations/

https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-practices/

3. Move your body

Walk, run, swim, jump, dance, and stretch! Thirty minutes of exercise daily will increase your endorphins, and lighten your mood.

4. The Cuddle Cure

There’s nothing more comforting that a hug from a loving partner, friend, or family member. Hugs promote the release of oxytocin which can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and increase feelings of happiness and well being. When I remember to put aside my to-do list, and get some cuddles, I always feel better after.

5. Do Meal Planning, and Eat Whole Foods

I always feel better when I cook my own food. Restaurant food is delicious, and a nice treat sometimes, but it’s also heavy on salt, fat, and sugar which all create inflammation. Stress and inflammation are bidirectional, one increases the other, and results in an overactivation of the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) which is responsible for the body’s stress response.

I do intermittent fasting whenever I can, and break my 15-16 hour fast with a smoothie.

For lunch I often bring a tupperware of brown rice with chopped kale and tomatoes.

Here’s a recipe to get you started:

Mango Cardamom Smoothie:

1 c. frozen mango

1 banana

half a cup clean, chopped kale

a peeled guava, nectarine, or peach (optional)

3 dates

half tsp tumeric

third of a teaspoon cardamom

half tsp whole psyllium husk

1 tsp toasted, ground flax

1 c coconut water

1 c water (or less if you prefer)

6. Get Better Sleep

Being sleep deprived causes both short and long term health issues. Poor sleep increases stress and emotional instability, and negatively impacts functioning.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, these resources may help you improve your sleep hygiene, and get better rest:

• The Sleep Book: How to Sleep Well Every Night, by Dr. Guy Meadows
• A Guided Meditation for Healthful Sleep by Belleruth Naparstek

7. Journal

Journaling is an excellent outlet to reduce stress, process feelings, and become more aware of patterns.

When we journal, we step out of the maelstrom of our mental merry-go-round, and gain clarity and self understanding.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a great resource to help you start a dedicated journaling process, and enhance your creativity at the very same time!

Last week, I came home from work feeling utterly depleted. I knew that scrolling on my phone, or tackling one more task was beyond me. Instead, I cued up my yoga nidra practice, lay on my bed with a light cover and an eye pillow, and within minutes, I felt as though I had left all my worldly stress behind. I was transported to a calm, gentle place where I could relax under a tree, listening to the birds. It felt amazing!

Conclusion:

In these challenging times, prioritizing self-care isn’t just a luxury—it’s essential for our well-being. Having a self care toolbox that incorporates practices like yoga nidra, self-compassion meditations, mindful movement, and cooking wholesome food into your daily routine, you can cultivate a greater sense of calm and resilience.

Take a moment to reflect on what practices resonate with you. Start small—perhaps try a five-minute meditation or a short walk today. Create your own self-care toolbox and explore what helps you feel grounded and refreshed. Remember, taking time for yourself isn’t selfish; it’s a vital step toward a healthier, happier you.

What will you add to your self-care routine this week?