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| Self-care is very important |
Prioritizing
yourself over everything else is the first and the most crucial step towards
recovery because not only self-care crucial for healthy mental well being, but
also indispensable when it comes to physical wellness and seeking balance.
Whenever we are
recovering, we can often be tempted to quickly go back to the "normal
life" but fail to realize that
rushing through the process can sometimes set us back and lengthen the recovery
process. Furthermore, self-care helps to encourage happiness and self
contentment with life; self care allows you to live life to the fullest, while being more present in
each experience.
In the following
section, we share some tips to prioritize your self care when recovering
mentally or physically:
Have a routine for yourself
Having a routine
can be helpful in self care and aiding in progressing your recovery. Before
your schedule gets fully booked consider incorporating specific times or days
in your calendar for activities that you enjoy.
Keep it simple
however, as the routine should be realistic and not overwhelming so that you
can turn towards it like a ritual and do it with consistency - the objective is
to unplug yourself from the regular tasks and obligations, drop everything and
attend to your own needs.
One example of
this could be to include in your routine “wellness days” or similar dates where
you will be blocking time and dedicating the time to reconnect with yourself.
Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
When many people
think of “self-care” they think of meditation, massages or yoga, however what
self-care really means is anything that triggers you to focus on yourself;
activities that bring you enjoyment
which can also mean new and creative hobbies.
By allowing
yourself to explore and discover different activities, it allows you to find
out what feels right for you and being open to new, unexpected adventures.
In this process
of self-discovery, it’s important to put aside self judgement if those
activities aren’t the same activities before your recovery - often times, these
activities may no longer interest you, or it may be that your body has changed
during the recovery process.
Seek assistance from a professional
When dealing with
recovery, it can be helpful to have a healthcare professional on your team to
help you navigate the highs and lows, and also support you mentally or
physically, especially if there are new symptoms that can arise.
“In addition to
helping you navigate through new symptoms, they can also help you see things
from a more holistic perspective, says Dr. Sarah Bennett, a naturopathic
physician at Natural Med Doc, as well as help you reframe your experience during difficult times.
Having a
healthcare professional with extensive training can be beneficial in helping
you balance out your current emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as
balancing your self care with recovery.
Listen to
yourself
One of the best
sources of how we are doing from day to day
is by listening to our bodies, particularly our energy, pain levels
and our emotions; paying attention to its prompts and actively attending to our
needs.
If you are
feeling more exhausted and irritable, it may be time to pace yourself and give
yourself even more self-care, as these are internal prompts to rest and limit
external stimulation.
Remember that in
recovery not everything will be the same as before; embracing the physical
emotional and mental changes, listening to yourself and accepting your new
normal can be helpful in moving through the recovery process.
Focus on the essentials
In the recovery
process, it’s not uncommon to want to get “back to normal” as soon as possible,
however, we can fall prey to distractions and become incredibly busy, which can
make things overwhelming and be draining towards your energy.
Simplifying and
focusing on the essentials can help prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and
exhausted - sit back and take a moment to inventory the things that matter to
you, and only do those things that would be the most impactful on your health
and wellbeing, as well as delegating tasks to others. .
"Urgent"
doesn't necessarily mean vital or important, nor does it indicate that you must
drop everything you’re doing to focus on it - keeping things simple and
prioritizing the essentials can help to
prevent you from feeling overwhelm during the recovery process.
In Summary
When it comes to
self-care, it’s important to prioritize the essentials, schedule time for
yourself, listen to yourself and be open to the process of self-discovery.
In coming back to
a new normal, it’s important not to rush the
process as it can halt your
progress, understanding that some things won’t be the same and
remembering that recovery is also about finding a new balance.
Having a
professional in your team can also help you by supporting you mentally,
emotionally or physically and helping you to balance self-care with recovery.
Freelance Writer, Editor & Social Media Strategist
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