The Self-Care Plan: Bringing It Together (Part 2)

You can access this podcast episode here: https://youtu.be/aPlFEGQCrOU

Definition: Self-care can best be described as the intentional actions that are taken to preserve your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

Self-care is an essential part of your well-being. It plays a valuable role in your mental, emotional & physical health. When you make an intentional effort to preserve your mental, emotional and physical care then it produces healthy results in other areas of your life. When you decide to put your well-being first, it can clarify what stressors affect your mind, body, soul & spirit.

In my self-care journey, I learn how to cope with stress, anxiety & anger. Creating an individual self-care plan has given me a peace of mind during difficult times. When you begin to make yourself a priority, things in your life will shift. No longer will you feel neglected, tired, burnout or unappreciated. Overall, it is a personal responsibility to take care of your well-being. When you try to delegate this responsibility to others, then disappointment and frustration will be a continuous result.

Below I am going to give you guidance on how to bring your self-care plan together.

First Step: In a journal/poster board list all categories for your plan starting with mental, emotional & physical as top categories.

Second Step: The categories will range from 6-8 depending on what specific areas are important to you.

For example your categories may be as follows:

• Mental
• Emotional
• Physical
• Spiritual
• Social/Relational
• Professional
• Recreational
• Financial

Image Reference: https://www.blessingmanifesting.com/2017/07/what-is-self-care.html

Third Step: Once you have listed all your categories then it is time to list your coping strategies. I suggest listing 3 to 5 coping strategies for each category so you will not overwhelm yourself

For example under my mental self-care I would put meditation, prayer, reading inspirational quotes/books etc.

Below is a brief example of my self-care plan…..

• Mental: meditation, prayer, reading inspirational devotions/books
• Emotional: therapy, journaling, setting boundaries
• Physical: walking, being in nature, healthy routine for eating/medical checkups

Once you have finished listing three to five coping strategies, you are done with your self-care plan. You can always add more coping strategies later, but sticking with three to five will help you implement one or two each day during the week. Once you implement a strategy consistently, you will see a change in your life.

*To create your self-care plan you can download the free e-book here: https://payhip.com/b/znTZ *

Recap of December Blog Post!

I can’t believe we are in our last week in 2015 & the New Year is quickly approaching. As we say goodbye to 2015 below are the provided links to recap our series for December: Me, Myself & I! 

Me: The Re-Emergence:
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/12/me-re-emegerence.html

Self Care Plan: Fill Your Cup!
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/12/self-care-plan-fill-your-cup-part-1.html

The Moment I Fell back In Love With Life!
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/12/the-moment-i-fell-back-in-love-with-life.html

Self Care Plan: Fill Your Cup

Today, I made a serious commitment to sit down and start my self-care plan. I did the needed research to find the pieces to solidify my self-care goals. When you begin to think about self-care you have to take inventory of all the things that create your own humanity. So, as I began to research  I realized I needed to categorized every aspect of my self-care. 

Your self-care plan can be divided into 6-8 categories such as mental, emotional, physical/wellness, beauty, social/relational (relationships of love & friendship), spiritual, financial and recreational.  Once you begin to create each category then it is time to focus on each specific area. 

Before, I decided to start my self-care journey I wrote a rough draft of each area and my focal points. Self-care is about you filling every empty corner in your mind, body and soul. As I embark on this journey I am excited to take a year or more to focus on what I need so I can no longer have lack in my life. Many times in society we are programmed to believe that taking care of yourself is a selfish act. However, taking care of yourself is the most important act of your life.

I use to feel guilty about doing stuff for myself until I realized other people had no problem with taking from me. I would give and give until I couldn’t give anymore. This became an issue because I was depleting myself. I consistently gave my all to other people which is never a good concept. When you fall into the deception of giving your all then you are allowing yourself to lack. Lack is connected to scarcity and poverty. Abundance is the opposite of this system.

In order to generate abundance you have to fill yourself up until you are overflowing in all areas of your life. Refueling your mind, body and soul is an important criteria in order to be able to help others. Giving back to others first starts with you filling your cup each day. When you can ask yourself “what do I need?”  then you can help someone else because your need is met.

In a world full of humanity we subtract ourselves from the humane part. I do believe if you give to others the Lord will bless you but I also believe in the concept of using wisdom on how to give and the measure to give.

Understand if you never fill your cup or become the first partaker everyone else including yourself will starve. I am tired of starving and being broke so I decided to fill my cup & then in return I can fill everyone else cup around me!  

Me: The RE-Emergence!

For the last seven years of my existence I have literally only existed since I finished my nine years in the United States Navy. I have transitioned through a lot of personal pains and obstacles that help me shape a better me. In the last seven years I had to face a death of a child, living in a city where I was not happy and most of all dealing with demons from my past. In spite of all negatives God was developing me so I could become a perfect positive picture of healing.

Everything I may have endured in this desolate place help me become authentic. God use my wilderness experience as a time to purge me, strip me and identify the real me. The process was painful but each negative continued to develop a more posed, elegant & confident woman I have become. In the last stretch of my seven year journey I am facing the demon of my past…..my rape! Eighteen years ago I was raped and I never confronted the pain or lowness I felt about myself. 

However, 2015 I said no more to torment &  decided to seek out therapy to find my self-worth. This has been a challenge for me because I am learning self-confidence, self-value & most of all self-preservation. I am now inspired to fill my cup until it runs over. 

My re-emergence will change the game because the girl you knew no longer exist I am reemerging not only as a woman full of her worth but I am a Queen that no longer is scared to shine. 

I recognize my diamond quality and no longer can allow anyone to taint my shine!

I matter.

I care about me.

And I will take care of me.

I can not give & give only to be empty…..Those days are long gone!

I charge you to reemerge in a different way in 2016 & fill your cup!

References:

Pictures: Kinu Sloss of Kikeara Image Group