How to find your balance and your flow through active self care.

Ever notice as you go through your day or week that you feel off-kilter, not quite centered, or a little off balance? Is it possibly because you are juggling too many tasks that week? Trying to do too many things in very little time? Or is there a lot swirling around in your head that it’s hard to know where to start?

Sometimes, depending on what’s going on around us, and what thoughts are going around in our heads, we can feel off centre. We can also feel not very grounded and a bit like we’re constantly chasing our tails or on the back foot.

So, how do you support yourself when you notice yourself feeling like that? How long does it take you to put your hand up and acknowledge to yourself that you are feeling off-kilter, maybe a little overwhelmed or chasing your tail?

Learning how to support yourself when you recognise yourself in this place can be an empowering and self-supporting process that could significantly change the way you engage and experience life.

Pause and Check-in!

So, pause for a moment, and ask yourself the question: how am I doing now? And how am I feeling now? Be honest with yourself, try not to simply tell yourself you are fine — hand on heart, how are you doing? Being able to acknowledge how you are genuinely feeling is the first step to being able address it. This is the first essential step in starting to offer ourselves some necessary self-care.

Be Honest With Yourself!

For some people this can be the hardest part of the process. Allowing ourselves to acknowledge that we are not OK can be difficult. But here’s the thing, believe it or not, this is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength, self-awareness and self-acceptance. It is a sign that you are willing and prepared to support yourself when you recognise you need it.

Assess What You Need!

Following on from this is then making the conscious choice to do something that will support you. At times we can recognise that we are finding things overwhelming or that we are struggling but then just try to persevere and carry on regardless.

But it’s important to give yourself the space to ask yourself the question: “what is going to support me in managing and addressing how I am currently feeling?”. This is where it’s important to stop what you are doing, take a moment or two and ask yourself what would help you slow down and take a step back, so that you can assess what you can do to support yourself.

Don’t Overthink It!

Next is to try not to overthink things or go into a spiral of thinking of why you can’t support yourself. Give yourself permission to start small, look at what you could potentially let go off over the next day or so, to take a moment, pause and take some time out, to rest, be still, sit and read a book, have a cuppa and allow your body and mind to slow down.

Give yourself some time each day to pause and take some calming, slow, deep breaths that ground you in the present, giving your body and mind time to re-centre, release tension, and recharge.

Put Yourself on Your Priority List!

Then look at how things are for you currently, and then begin to think about how you can build some self-supporting and self-caring habits into your daily routine. Yes, I said “daily”!

Put yourself on your daily priority list. Everything about your daily routine starts with you and how you are feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. Making sure that you are OK will strongly support how you experience and can be present in your day.

Think about what are those things that give you a sense of comfort, help you release stress, and/or help you unwind. How can you commit to giving yourself time daily to meet your own self-care needs? Giving yourself this time and attention will help you feel more grounded, balanced and centred.

Be Your BFF!

So, by giving yourself time and attention, you have started the process of doing those things that support you. Work to start to be your own best support, your own “Best Friend Forever” think of those things that you can do that give you comfort and ease your stress levels. We very easily can give support, advice and encouraging words to our friends and the people around us; now it’s time to also be willing and committed to giving that care and attention to ourselves.

It’s not being self-indulgent, or selfish. It’s an essential element of what supports us in being able to cope with and engage in our daily lives in a more empowered and grounded way.

To recap — to find your balance and your flow, take a moment, pause and do a self-check-in. Remember to be honest about how you are feeling. Think about what you need to support yourself. Don’t overthink it, or talk yourself out of giving yourself the support you need. Do put yourself on your daily priority list. Do be your own best supporter and best friend. Do let today be the start of your new proactive, self-caring routine and find your balance and your natural flow.

If you are thinking “I am not sure even where to start”, we can offer you advice and support with that. If you feel it would help to have a conversation about your next steps — email me directly at marie@lifetential.com and I would be delighted to arrange a time to talk.

Also, if you feel you need the benefit of a supportive community, why not join the “My Life to Shine Member’s Hub here or listen to “My Lifetential” podcast here.