{"id":665,"date":"2017-10-27T10:17:54","date_gmt":"2017-10-27T10:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horizoninspired.co.uk\/?p=665"},"modified":"2017-11-02T16:42:59","modified_gmt":"2017-11-02T16:42:59","slug":"self-care-smelth-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horizoninspired.co.uk\/2017\/10\/27\/self-care-smelth-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Care Schmelth-Care"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0Image from therapyevanston.com<\/pre>\nPause for a moment and think about how you, personally, show yourself love and care?<\/p>\n
So often we are guilty of putting ourselves last in the cue for care and nurture. Over stretched parents, under-confident singles, carers or recent retirees, caring for themselves so infrequently they actually have no clue where to start.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve dipped your toe into self care waters, you may have found encouragement to \u2018take a bath\u2019, \u2018meditate\u2019 or \u2018walk in nature\u2019. But done as a tokenistic tick box exercise (because you know you ‘should’) is about as nourishing as eating a whole cake every day under the guise of \u2018treating yourself\u2019.<\/p>\n
Taking a bath, meditating and spending time in nature are more<\/em> than valid actions of self love and are in fact amongst my faves but if you spend the whole time in the bath berating yourself for how fat your thighs look in the bath water, or replaying the awful day you had at work whilst you\u2019re frantically power walking around the park, or beating yourself up whilst you’re supposed to be meditating about what a bad mother you are for losing your temper with little Timmy in the supermarket;\u00a0It appears self care actually goes a lot deeper than it seems.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s annoying, I know, and I sound like a broken record but doesn\u2019t it always seem to come back to what\u2019s going on in our inner world, not necessarily the outer? It is that that seems to be\u00a0the root and solution. The difference between a bath or a walk acting as a old, soggy plaster or a heavenly, luxurious mud wrap, depending on where our heads are at. The annoying bit is, this mean we need to take responsibility for ourselves. GAAADDD.<\/p>\n
It is how you feel on the inside that determines how you react to external events, to others, situations and how you project yourself to the outside world.<\/p>\n
Self care is as much inner work as it is external. Let\u2019s imagine, for example, a full figured woman walking down the street. Imagine that this woman quietly and confidently knows herself and is stable in her own self worth. She loves and accepts herself exactly as she is and wears her confidence with her head held high, in her unassuming smile and in her sparkly, welcoming eyes. The fact she\u2019s not a size 8 wouldn\u2019t make any odds whatsoever to how goddess like she is. She\u2019s perfect and she modestly knows it.<\/p>\n
Someone who knows themselves, who has a gentle, balanced, healthy self confidence is the sexiest attribute going!<\/p>\n
Loving yourself first means to accept yourself fully. And from that place you can give<\/em> more love and live more peacefully. True self acceptance isn\u2019t selfish or self indulgent, arguably running around like a headless chicken, blaming your job, lover, children or situations for your stress or unhappiness and not<\/em> taking responsibility could arguably be more self indulgent. By loving yourself, you demonstrate and role model to your peers, your children, your lovers or family how to love and accept themselves too.<\/p>\n
But my god, of course, it\u2019s a journey and one I struggle with, especially when my pesky old ego buts in and says \u2018God you\u2019re annoying, get back in your box\u2019.<\/p>\n
So fancy making a pact with me? Shall we start from where we are and see this moment as a nudge to explore, to listen and to surrender to ourselves a little more.<\/p>\n
Today, as you pause to consider how you show yourself love and care, realise it isn\u2019t just how often you pamper yourself (but don\u2019t devalue that element of self care either) but also reflect, meditate and explore what\u2019s going on in your internal world.<\/p>\n
Visiting a health spa once a year is LUSH but it is our daily actions and rituals that make the real difference. Be mindful of the thoughts you are feeding yourself \u2013 are they compassionate and kind? Be mindful of your belief patterns about yourself and the world around you. \u00a0Remember with awareness you have the power to change old thought patterns, simply being aware is the beginning of change. Be mindful of the food you are nourishing your body with, the products you are feeding your skin and the information you\u2019re feeding your mind.<\/p>\n