While self-care has been an ongoing thing for me since my days in grad school, the process surrounding it constantly evolves with my growth as a person.
As my life changes and progresses, so does my routine to keep up with my ever-evolving life and experiences.
Because of the many changes that I go through, it’s important to me to maintain an up to date self-care routine. Over the last few years since making it a major part of my routine, I have sought out different practices to help further my overall growth.
What I’m doing instead of resolutions
With the start of the new year, I decided to do something different and place a few new and active parameters around caring for myself. Instead of resolutions, I decided to put into place active practices that allow me to track my progression and reinforce my self-awareness and self-love. The four actions that I laid out and put into practice towards the end of 2017 have allowed me to put my trials and triumphs into perspective and pushed me to move forward in the midst of varying struggle. The practices that I’ve put into place are:
- Practice little to no expectations
- Practice gratitude
- Practice patience
- Give yourself a break
Now, it may seem a little bit daunting to try to apply these four practices to every part of your life, but they are simple enough to be applied in any way no matter who you are or how you choose to live.
Expectations affect our experience
Little to no expectations can be practiced when entering different situations that affect the way in which we experience them. Instead of walking into a situation expecting a certain outcome, try approaching it neutrally.
Gratitude can be practiced at any time in any place
I’ll say aloud when I’m thankful for small things, like getting some extra time, receiving a text that makes smile or even being under my favorite blanket.
Practice patience every day
Patience can be practiced in the spaces in which we find ourselves most frustrated: on our drive to work, when a package hasn’t arrived in a timely manner, when the line in the store seems longer than we want it to be.
Be gentle, take breaks
I give myself a break by making sure to take time out to rest or being gentle with myself when I feel like I haven’t done all that I need to do to succeed. All of these things can put anything into perspective and smooth the road ahead.
With practicing each of these tasks actively comes a better understanding of self and can ease the way we choose to move through life. They are simple enough to be practiced and applied to all facets of life and strong enough to make an impact. As I’ve stated before, our self-care routines must evolve as we do and expand to cover the different trials and triumphs that we experience in our day to day lives. In 2018, self-care to me means more gratitude, more patience, and more growth by forming healthy emotional and encouraging habits that can carry you through this year and many more to come.
What’s your approach to New Year’s resolutions? Let us know in the comments!
Follow me on Instagram @thepoetessdij and my blog, The 90s Aesthetic
