Self Care

Take a deep breath in... and a deep breath out. Where are you right now? Be mindful of where you are, here and now, be present. 

Sometimes those of us with mental illness feel angry with ourselves, maybe frustrated in our recovery. I've learned that recovery is a very long, slow, and patient process. We're going to have slip-ups and relapses, but that does not mean that we should just give up.

This is where self-care comes in. Self care is listening to the signals and the messages we receive from our body. 

When you're stressed from school work, try taking a break and coming at it from another angle in 5 or 10 minutes.

Feeling sick? Drink some tea, don't go to the gym.

Feeling rushed? Stop and be present. Be mindful of where you are at this moment in time.

If you are tired, maybe go to sleep early that night.

Whenever I have an anxiety attack, or feel one coming, I stop whatever I'm doing, get myself some tea and watch a little How I Met Your Mother. I listen to my body and come back to center.

Tolerance, patience, self love all lead to serenity, and are the goals of recovery. We should use our frustration as a catapult to teach us patience.

Deb from Home Life Simplified has an extensive list of 50 ideas for Self Care.

Question to ask yourself:
Do I cope wisely and patiently with my frustration and practice self care and self love today?