Self-Care Saturday

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Kay’s Korner

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Hello, friends, it’s Self-Care Saturday!

I know a lot of people, including myself, who have been so preoccupied with trying to think of others and keeping them safe during this pandemic that we sometimes forget to take proper care of ourselves. 

Many of us feel guilty about taking time for ourselves, especially when there is so much going on. So today, I am going to share with you some common self-care techniques for when you feel overwhelmed. 

As a disclaimer, I am no therapist. 

Quite the opposite. But I have learned a few tricks from my own experience in therapy that I hope can be useful to others. There are many self-care strategies and these are just skimming the surface.

First, if you are a person who tends to beat yourself up over small things, talk to yourself as you would your best friend. 

Think about the things you say to or about yourself. Would you ever talk to someone you love like that?

Chances are, the answer is no. Once aware of that, it becomes easier to begin training yourself to be your biggest cheerleader rather than worst critic. 

Think of yourself as your own best friend, and encourage and support yourself.

When you’re feeling down, focus on things that make you happy. When I feel myself beginning to spiral downward, I think of three things that make me happy. 

Smiling can also trigger a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing dopamine and serotonin, which are linked to feeling happy and reducing stress respectively.

Use grounding techniques when you need them. 

We all develop our own grounding strategies and these particular tips may not work for everyone, but here is a list of some techniques that have proven helpful to me:

• Sit in the sun, not doing anything. Feel the heat of the rays hitting your skin and think about how far this sunlight has traveled to reach you.

• Walk barefoot outside and try your best to notice every rock and blade of grass.

• Water nearby plants. It doesn’t matter if they’re yours. Take care of them and talk to them.

• Take a moment to be observant. Strive to make yourself aware of everything around you.

• Eat a few meals with no distractions. Notice every bite and flavor.

• Look up at the stars and moon. Understand that although your problems might be small in the scope of the universe, your feelings are still real and important to you, which means that they are important to those who care about you as well. Small as we may be, we are all important.

Did you know that plants and humans share many of the same genes, and that plants have been shown to exhibit emotions? 

It makes me think that maybe we are all just house plants with anxiety, so remember, plants have to be nourished to be able to flourish, and so do you.

 

Kaylee Rush is a staff writer for The Snyder News. Comments on this article can be made at lifestyles@thesnydernews.com