Self care is a term that gets ignored a lot in our society and day to day lives. I definitely ignored my self care growing up and it was only until I came into recovery in 2016 for various forms of addictions and suffering with mental health issues that I learned what self care is really all about.
Personal experience:
I suffered from mental health issues growing up and was taught to “stop being silly”, “man up” or “stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about”, instead of being allowed to share what was going for me in the moment whether it was sadness, anger, frustration, sharing about my bullying experiences and mental, physical and sexual abuse. Not having a safe space to do that at home, in school or with friends, the easiest solution was to turn to food, relationships, acting out sexually or with porn, drinking and eventually drugs. At my worse I tried to commit suicide a number of times, I had a couple of overdoses and was living to die. Life had lost it’s meaning. In all honesty I never wanted to die, I wanted help, I wanted to heal and find purpose. I met my wife and business partner in 2016 and my life changed. I came into recovery through a 12 step program and began my healing journey. Today, I still work on myself as I understand that has no meaning unless we give it. During the dark times I thought it had no meaning but through revisiting those times and healing from them I’ve been given the biggest gifts. Some of the biggest gifts have been self love, self care and self respect.
Why is self care important?:
You are here to have a personal experience. You are here to experience all emotions and learn what they mean to you and what they can teach you. You are here to experience life and give it meaning and purpose. So when we ask ourselves, why is self care important? It’s because you are. You are the most important being and as you having an individunal experience, wouldn’t you want to make it the best possible experience in this mind, body and spirit complex we call the human body.
Managing our emotions:
Self regulation can be extremely tough when we are in fight, flight or freeze which can also be looked at stress, anxiety and depression. Stress, anxiety and depression are the most common signs of poor mental health issue. They can affect us daily with experiences being mild to extreme and dibilitating. During those experiences the prefrontal cortex (the front part of our brain) can shut down, allowing the amygdala, a locus for regulating emotional activity, to take over, inducing mental paralysis and panic. When this is happening we aren’t able to function, process and receive information. This is when we must self regulate and here important tips to help in your day to day lives.
Tips for improving mental health and self regulation:
Tips and techniques – 3 tips to help you manage stress and anxiety daily:
1) Box breathing: Inhale for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold your breath again for a count of four. Repeat this practice for 3-5 minutes.
2) Use affirmations to bring you back into the present moment. Stress and anxiety can make us feel out of control so the combination of slow deep breaths and calming affirmations such as “I’m safe, I’m protected and I’m exactly where I need to be” can be extremely helpful. When you are going into a meeting or a job interview, use affirmations to help you connect with the present moment and boost your confidence.
3) Grounding and walking is a fantastic way to calm the mind and recentre. Being barefoot on the grass, going for a mindful walk outside Focusing on the now, while mindfully moving, will help you to feel grounded and present while boosting your wellbeing. The science is clear. Physical exercise and mindful practice positively influence psychological functioning, improving cognition, lowering stress, and reducing symptoms of depression.
Tips and techniques – 3 tips to help with depression: During a depressive episode we often feel like everything is happening to us and not for us.
1) Journalling is a powerful way to get the mind chatter on paper and out of your head. Journalling is a great way to clear space and invite positive thinking. Follow your journaling by writing a gratitude list.
2) Gratitude lists have been proven to work on feelings of depression. When we express or receive gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which can help us feel happier and less depressed. Write 10 things you are grateful for each day and you will see significant changes in your daily life.
3) Ketamine Lozenge Therapy has been proven to help with the treatment of depression with studies showing over 80% improvement and positive results. In a recent study of 94 participants (treating individuals with treatment resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety & cPTSD) 91% reported improvements in their anxiety, 79% reported improvements in their depression and 92% had significant life/work functionality improvements. The most impressive results were out of the individuals who screened positive for PTSD post treatment 86% screened negative for this debilitating condition. These results are overwhelmingly positive which included several unsolicited self reports of transformation (Dames, S; Kryskow, P & Watler, C Front Psychiatry 2021).
Tips and techniques – For overall health in mind, body and spirit:
1) Breathwork – this can help people with positive self-development, boost immunity, process emotions, heal emotional pain and trauma, as well as enrich creativity and increase confidence, self-image, and self esteem.
2) Mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation can help people focus on the present and cut through distractions. This can lead to improved personal performance and productivity. It can also help to improve sleep and can lead to a greater enthusiasm for life.
3) Physical exercise. Many people who have been struggling with their mental health say that finding an enjoyable physical activity that they can perform regularly has helped them to reduce their levels of stress and cope with their symptoms. Remember that you are a mind, body and spirit complex so by having daily practices such as these in place will help you function better and allow you to live a more happier, healthier and fulfilling life.
By Alex da Silva, Silva Wellness
You may also like
-
Dr Sarah Valentine on The Different Types of Self-Care: Finding What Works for You
-
Megan Martin on Self Care in the Menopause Years: Holistic Wellness in Health Prevention
-
Patrizia Galeota on Building Resilience Through Global Challenges
-
Self-Care Tips: Prioritizing Your Well-Being at Every Age
-
Eco-Travel: Exploring the World While Protecting It