Instantly learn how to get your mind and body in shape with easy mindfulness strategies you can use today

Transcription

1 SELF-CARE 101: FINDING CALM IN CHAOTIC TIMES Instantly learn how to get your mind and body in shape with easy mindfulness strategies you can use today INCLUDES THE ULTIMATE SELF-CARE PLANNER AND THE ULTIMATE 7-DAY SELF-CARE CHALLENGE!

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 INTRODUCTION 4 SELF-CARE HOLY TRINITY (BENEFITS OF SELF-CARE) 5 SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES CHEAT SHEET 6 HOW TO KNOW WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE 7 HOW TO STOP EXHAUSTION BEFORE IT STOPS YOU 8 HOW SELF NEGLECT HURTS THOSE WE LOVE 9 HOW TO CREATE YOUR SELF-CARE PRACTICE 10 ULTIMATE SELF-CARE PLANNER 11 HOW SELF CARE CHANGED MY LIFE 12 ULTIMATE 7-DAY SELF-CARE CHALLENGE!

3 The Ultimate Self-Care Introduction! Welcome to your Ultimate Guide to Self-Care! I made this guide because self-care has transformed my life in some amazing ways and my hope is that it can do the same for you! By the end of this Ebook you will have have a full understanding of what self-care is and the benefits of self-care care! You will also learn how to add self-care into your daily lives and build your own self-care routine with the Timothy James Self Care Planner!! Lastly I will introduce you to my Ultimate 7-Day Self-Care Challenge to get you motivated on your ultimate self-care journey! You re about to access all the benefits self-care has to offer! Are you ready to add calm and reduce stress in your life? You've come to the right place! Not sure what self care is? That's cool, I got your back! Check out my personal definition of self-care in the box below: Definition of Self-Care: Self-care strengthens and deepens our connection with ourselves so we can understand how to have our needs met from a mental, spiritual, and physical stand point. Self-care involves regular practice of activities and mindsets which build the connection with who you are at the core of your being so that when the tides of life get rough you are anchored and don t get swept away.

4 THE SELF-CARE HOLY TRINITY True self-care strengthens and deepens our connection with ourselves so we can understand how to have our needs met in the mind, body, and soul. I like to call this the Self-Care Holy Trinity! Check out the graphic below to get a better understanding of the Self-Care Holy Trinity and the benefits of self-care! THE SELF-CARE HOLY TRINITY Mind Self-care activities for the mind are intellectually stimulating, educational, and may help you to gain a new outlook or perspective on something. They help you to stop dwelling on the past or worrying about the future and be present in the moment. Body Self-care for the body is focused on improving your physical health, accepting your body as it is, and being comfortable in your own skin. By caring for your body you increase self-confidence, increase energy, and increase health and well-being. You will also look and feel sexier! Soul Soulful self-care activities build the connection with yourself and the world around you on a personal level. These activities help you manage stress, gain confidence, and find clarity. This is where you ll find your path to happiness and fulfillment. -

5 SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES CHEAT SHEET The boxes below show examples of activities and mindsets inspired by the Self-Care Holy Trinity. These are some of the building blocks of a self-care practice! Check it out and brainstorm some of your own ideas too! MIND Relax and do nothing (no cellphones allowed!) Meditate Read a book Listen to an educational podcast Play with your pet Cuddle your significant other Smile Write down three things you have learned since yesterday Learn a new language Forgive some one who has wronged you Create something artistic Play an instrument Listen to music you love Start a daily gratitude journal Practice mindful attention (ie. bodyscanning) Learn a new language Mindfully talk with other people Mindfully listen to other people Do a crossword puzzle or brain teaser Set a goal for yourself Go outside BODY Breathe clean air or just practise breathing Move to music you love Get adequate sleep Lift weights Go outside and get some sunlight on your skin Be still in your favourite chair Eat when you are hungry Eat healthfully (ie. Fruits and veggies, unrefined foods) Look in a mirror and love your body as it is right now without judgement Schedule a doctor s appointment if needed Dance! Go for a brisk walk or run Lift weights Prepare a healthy meal Yoga Get a mani/pedi Thank your body for all it does for you Walk Play a sport SOUL Stop comparing yourself to others Do something that is scary and you ve always wanted to do Forgive someone you have been holding a grudge against Practice compassion for yourself Take a break from social media Stop suppressing your emotions Read a fictional book Take a break from technology. Unplug. Help someone and don t expect anything in return Know that you are enough just as you are Make an effort to give attention to those you love Surround yourself with positive people Appreciate yourself and all the good qualities you have Take time and process your feelings to centre yourself Laugh Talk to someone new Join a club Volunteer Say yes to a new opportunity that fulfils you Take a social media break Meditate Write down your core values Talk to loved ones about your struggles Let go of the need to be perfect

6 HOW TO KNOW WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE Self-care is about having your needs met, but how do you actually know what your needs are? Enter Maslow! He created a theory in developmental psychology which describes all basic human needs. It's called Maslow's staircase of human needs. Seen here: MASLOW'S STAIRCASE OF HUMAN NEEDS SELFACTUALIZATION ESTEEM SOCIAL SAFETY & SECURITY PHYSICAL SELF-ACTUALIZATION IS WHEN A PERSON STRIVES TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES POSSIBLE. THIS IS WHEN YOU NOT ONLY WANT TO HELP YOURSELF, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY WANT TO HELP OTHERS. ESTEEM NEEDS INCLUDE SELF-ESTEEM AND SELFASSURANCE. HIGH SELF-ESTEEM COMES FROM KNOWING YOURSELF AND YOUR VALUES. THOSE WITH HIGH ESTEEM DON T REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM OTHERS TO FEEL CONFIDENT, IT COMES FROM WITHIN. SOCIAL NEEDS STEM FROM THE NEED FOR BELONGING AND LOVE. HUMANS WITHOUT LOVE SUCCUMB TO LONELINESS, SOCIAL ANXIETY, AND SEVERE DEPRESSION. SOCIAL NEEDS ARE MET THROUGH INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BEING PART OF A COMMUNITY, AND FEELING LOVED. SAFETY AND SECURITY NEEDS INCLUDE PERSONAL SECURITY, FINANCIAL SECURITY, AND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS ARE REQUIRED FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL. THIS IS BASIC STUFF LIKE EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY, SLEEP WHEN TIRED, HYDRATE REGULARLY, BREATHE CLEAN AIR, AND DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR THE WEATHER. Everyone starts out at the bottom of the staircase with physical needs. Once physical needs are met you can move up to the next step and so on. The goal of self-care is to reach the top of the stair-case where all your needs are met and you achieve self-actualization. Self-actualization is the key to living a happy, passionate and fulfilled life! When creating your own self-care practice, use Maslow's staircase of needs to determine what needs you will focus on to get to the top of the staircase and reach self-actualization!

7 HOW TO STOP EXHAUSTION BEFORE IT STOPS YOU If you neglect your needs for an extended period of time you will experience extreme burnout or exhaustion. This is when you push yourself so hard that you literally can t go on anymore and you just collapse. That can't be good! Read the graphic below for signs of extreme burnout and see if you're at risk! If you find you are at risk of burnout, or just feel you want to take better care of yourself, self-care is the answer you are looking for! BURNOUT WARNING SIGNS - You view caffeine as a necessity to life. - You often forget or are too busy to eat. - You are completely exhausted by the end of the day. - You always wake up exhausted regardless the hours slept. - You sleep endlessly during the weekend just to feel normal again -You have extreme cravings for sugar as an energy source -You binge on something like Netflix or alchohol to avoid your own thoughts. - You constantly suppress your emotions -You always put yourself last.

8 HOW SELF NEGLECT HURTS THOSE WE LOVE You could be harming yourself and everyone you love in your life and you not even know it. Sounds crazy, right? It s not as crazy as you might think If you sacrifice your own well-being to take care of others, chances are you are doing more harm than good. Let me explain. Think about when you get on an airplane. What s the first thing they tell you? In case of a loss of cabin pressure, please put your own oxygen mask on first and then assist your children or other passengers. They tell you this because if you don t take care of yourself first you will pass out and die. It s only when you help yourself first that you can effectively help others and save lives. Life is a lot like the oxygen mask. You harm yourself and the ones you love when you aren t taking care of yourself first. Is Self Care Selfish? I know many of you reading this think to be a good person you have to continuously give even when you re completely drained. You essentially are putting yourself last. Here s the thing, when you give to other people to the degree that you sacrifice your health, you make the other person a thief. You make them a thief because they are stealing from you! You are allowing them to drain your strength, resilience and motivation. Not good. You wouldn t let a loved one neglect their health, right? So why is it right for you to neglect your own? The truth is it s not right! It s not OK! It s not good for you, and it s cray cray! (thanks Whitney for that!) It s time to stop sacrificing yourself and stop turning people into thieves by practicing some serious self-care. Self-care is the best thing you can do for both yourself and your loved ones.

9 HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN DAILY SELF-CARE PRACTICE To reap the full benefits of self-care it s something that needs to be practiced every day. My self-care routine is simple and easy here s how it works: How to create a daily self-care practice: Use Maslow's Staircase of Human Needs (page 6) to determine where your needs are lacking. Brainstorm ideas for activities that will help you get your needs met. Refer to page 5 for examples of activities to try! Choose three of your brainstormed activities (one for mind, soul, and body) to build your day's self-care practice! Find a calm space and practice your chosen self-care activities for one hour or more. I recommend you spend twenty minutes on each activity per day but the time spent on each activity is up to you. Write out your self-care activities on the Self-Care Planner provided on page 10 to track your progress! Timothy's Tips: If you create a self-care routine that stresses you out, change your routine! A self-care routine should be something you look forward to! Everyday can be a different activity or the same activity, it s your call! It would be ideal for you to fit 3 activities in an hour but if you want to do less, that s OK too! Schedule self-care time in you calendar and treat it like a doctor's appointment. This is after all for your health! Don t berate yourself if you miss a day. The overall goal here is for you to spend time taking care of yourself. Keep it fun and relaxed! A self-care practice can be something different for everyone what works for me may not work for you. It s up you to find what works best for you.

10 ULTIMATE SELF-CARE PLANNER BY TIMOTHY JAMES For each day of the week write out the activity performed for your mind, body, and soul. Refer to page 9 for more detailed instructions. MIND MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY BODY SOUL

11 HOW SELF CARE CHANGED MY LIFE I find it hard to find time for myself throughout the day, I found the best way to practice self-care is to get up early and devote one hour of time to myself. I created a daily self-care routine that starts my day off on a positive note. This positivity bleeds over into other aspects of my life and it s been life changing. For instance, I used to be miserable getting up for work in the morning. Now getting up is enjoyable because I have something to look forward to like going to the gym, listening to a podcast, or meditating. I ve noticed I m generally happier and filled with a sense of gratitude for my blessings in life. I surprised myself when I lost twelve pounds in eight weeks by practicing healthful eating. By practicing gratitude I m able to find more moments of joy in my daily life and I m much more attentive to those I love. With mindfulness and meditation practice I experience less anxiety, stress, and negative thinking. Self-care has allowed me to be aware of the constant neurotic thought patterns I ve developed that hold me back and make me feel inadequate or like I don t measure up. I can see more clearly how these patterns are essentially bad habits. And just like any bad habit? They can be broken! It s been a huge confidence booster! Mindfulness helped me identify and overcome fear and self-doubt and work up the courage to start following my passion of writing and helping others after years of telling myself I wasn t good enough. And here we are today!

12 ULTIMATE 7-DAY SELF-CARE CHALLENGE! I challenge you to commit to the Ultimate Self-Care challenge and try this self-care practice for 7 consecutive days. I dare you! You ll see how your life changes for the better! Don t forget to let me know how it goes by ing me at timothy@timothyjameswellness.com!