Self-care for Life’s Stumbles

You are a strong, confident woman capable of handling anything life throws at you.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you never get knocked off your feet for a second.  Before you get back up, dust off, and continue blazing trails, make sure you take some time for some healthy self-care.  Here’s some ways to get started so that you can come back from every stumble rejuvenated and ready to rock it out.

Acknowledge what you’re feeling –

Guess what? You’re allowed to feel angry, or sad, or frustrated, or whatever it is you’re feeling right now. And pretending you’re not experiencing them is not going to make your emotions go away – if anything, it will just make them hide away and flare up at unexpected, possibly inconvenient moments.  Take a second to, without judgement, acknowledge what it is you’re feeling as legitimate.  You don’t even have to know why you’re feeling it – just treat yourself with enough respect to make what you’re feeling important.

Give yourself a break

Grab the whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s and a spoon and pop in the sappiest romantic comedy you can find.  It’s okay to become a stereotype when you’re upset – but only temporarily.  Do whatever you have to do to take care of yourself. Taking time to have a good cry, consume a little comfort food, and tune out of the real world is a natural, and healthy, part of acknowledging what you’re feeling.

Feel better on the outside

Paint your toes. Take a long, indulgent bubble bath.  Get a massage.  Take fifteen minutes wearing nothing but a facemask, a towel, and a pair of headphones.  Whatever it is, indulge in a little self-care that is only about making you feel a little prettier and perkier on the outside.  It can be as simple as taking a little extra time to exfoliate or make sure your bra and panties match, but making sure you feel your best self can actually make you feel like, well, your best self.  Just make sure whatever you choose is actually about boosting how you see yourself and not about effecting how the rest of the world sees you.  This time is about you, after all.

Get moving

To quote Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”  Not that you’re on the path towards murder, but if you want to make sure you stay way clear of it, your favorite workout might be just the thing.  Elle Woods had it right – exercise does give you endorphins, and those endorphins do make you happy.  Plus, as long as you’re not adding stress to your life by gunning for some impossible beauty standard (it’s time to acknowledge we are all more than our pant size, ladies!), the time you spend working out, whether its going out for a run or spending time on your yoga mat, is time that you take just for you.  And that’s what self-care is about – taking time that’s only about taking care of yourself.

Count your blessings

Realizing all you have to be grateful for is a good way to bring yourself back to a productive place while still acknowledging the emotional experience of the moment.  Expressing gratitude has been proven to result in increased happiness – and it’s a healthier way to cope with what’s going on in your life than bottling up emotion under the guise of being “over it.”  Counting your blessings lets you give things the time and space they need to heal while keeping you from getting lost in wallowing, so you can get back on the horse and start turning things around.