If you’re doing some of the “little stuff” self-care, like doing inspirational readings or taking nature walks, that can really add up to living a healthier, happier life.
That’s especially true if you’ve got a lot of the Big Stuff managed.
But most of us sometimes have some “big stuff” self-care we need to do.
Carol knew her emotional eating was a problem, but she couldn’t figure out how to stop. There was no way around it—she needed to find other ways to get her emotional needs met so she could put food in its place and give her body the nutritious foods it needs.
Here are some examples of “big stuff” that requires self-care:
Sleep is big stuff. I had terrible insomnia for years, so I know it can be nearly impossible to live the fullest, happiest life if you’re not able to get your rest. In caring about myself, I had to seriously tackle my sleep problems. I researched sleep hygiene, worked at doing the things that make sleep easier.
Stress is big stuff. Our bodies and minds are simply not made to withstand a constant onslaught of cortisol in our system, and it can ruin our health and our mental and emotional state. When we’re experiencing stress for a period of time, it’s important to find ways to reduce it. It’s a big topic and any practice that slows you down, like meditation, can really help. For me, stress was often related to taking on too much. I found I can greatly reduce my stress by setting better boundaries and saying NO a lot more. No is a complete sentence!
NEEDS are big stuff. It makes a huge difference when you get your emotional needs met in real, direct ways, as opposed to stuffing, ignoring, numbing, avoiding them. And I know that’s easier said than done! But, if you’re experiencing loneliness or sadness, you need to work at increasing love and connection. If you’re experiencing a lot of anger or frustration, you may want to explore the need to better plan your time, or find a way to talk through a misunderstanding, or set a boundary or adjust your expectations. Care about yourself enough to feel your feelings, identify your emotional needs, and explore ways of getting those needs met.
Eating and drinking are big stuff! Thedefault way of eating and drinking in our society these days is not very “self-caring!” It’s not primarily about nourishing our bodies with life-giving foods so our bodies FEEL their best and function their best. Rather, it’s about indulgence, it’s about convenience, and it’s geared toward profits for the food and beverage industries.
When we make a real commitment to eat and drink things that make our bodies truly healthy and happy, we’re engaging in some “big stuff” self-care! I love how one client put it– we make it a sacred commitment to give our body nutritious, life-giving foods and that’s some of the best self-care we can do. (And changing my eating and drinking eliminated my insomnia, too!)
Is there a Big Stuff area of self-care that needs your attention these days?
Or are you thinking of some you need to focus on right now? I
What have you learned about self-care that might add to my understanding? I’m definitely still working on this self-care stuff, so I’d love to hear your insights!
Next time, I want to move on from “little stuff” and “big stuff” self-care to “radical self-care.” What does that look like??
