Spring is a Time for New Beginnings & Self-Care - Rachel Devine
Spring is a time for new growth and new beginnings. The daffodils bloom in early spring, along with the blossoms on the Magnolia tree, and the dogwood comes to life. Spring is a time for renewal. As they say, there is a time for every purpose under heaven. The seasons remind us that life does come back after being dormant for the winter. So, what about you? Is it time for your renewal? Is it time for you to spring ahead? Perhaps spring is a time to start some self-care practices. Just like the caterpillar morphs into a beautiful butterfly, you can also transform into your beautiful self.
Let’s look at ways to start this spring with self-care and renewal:
Self-Care
Self-care is very understated in our society, especially for women, who generally care about everyone around them but themselves. This leaves little time for self-care. However, self-care is crucial because we want to be in a good state to help others. As the old saying goes, if the plane is going down, put the oxygen mask on yourself, because if you don't, you can’t help anyone else. Therefore, self-care is important, and it’s really good to know that, unless you have little children, the only person you are responsible for is yourself. That is very liberating to acknowledge. Also, when you practice self-care you are building on your self-esteem.
Self-care routine
Here are some ways to bring self-care into your world:
Pamper yourself with a massage or a nice relaxing bath.
Take time to meditate, pray, or walk in nature.
Spend money on yourself from time to time, or buy yourself flowers.
Eat healthy and exercise as often as you can.
Say no and set boundaries when someone takes advantage of your time.
Schedule time to relax just for you, and don’t let anyone infringe on that time.
Take a relaxing trip as a way to recharge your batteries, even if it’s just for the weekend.
Take a course that will enlighten you or make you feel happy.
Sit in a room with scented candles in order to relax your inner world.
Benefits of self-care
It prevents stress and overextending yourself.
It helps your mental state to be clear and calm.
It helps your overall health.
It helps with inner healing from the past.
It helps you relax more.
It helps you feel more confident in yourself.
It helps you feel happy and valued.
Self-care builds on your self-esteem.
Inner healing and self-care
Self-care is the catalyst for inner healing. When we take care of ourselves, it helps heal past wounds of being taken advantage of. It can also be the start of a new way of living that will enhance your life. Self-care is not selfish; it’s a way to pamper yourself and be good to yourself. The message you give yourself when you pamper yourself is, “I am worth it.” Remember, if you don’t take care of yourself, who will? Sure, you can still be there for others' sake, but it’s important to also be there for yourself. Inner healing really does start with self-care practices, as one will eventually gravitate toward ways to heal from past issues.
Inner child healing
Your inner child has had past wounds inflicted on him or her whether you realize it or not. Whenever you do an act of kindness for yourself, you do that act of kindness for your inner child, who is a very real part of you. The more you nurture your inner child with self-care practices, the more you will gravitate towards a better relationship with yourself and those around you. It’s imperative to treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others. The energy we put out into the world comes back to us.
In closing, I want to remind you that taking care of yourself is the single most important thing you can do in life. It is a way to let your inner child know that you are going to be there for him or her and nurture and care for them. That message alone will help you feel happier, along with all the benefits from self-care practices directed towards you. Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you have in life. Doesn’t it make sense to treat yourself with love and kindness? If you do, love and kindness will trickle down to all your relationships. Therefore, I urge you to step outside of the daily routine and consider doing a few of the self-care suggestions so you are on your way to a happier and more content life.
Rachel Devine is the author of a new book, Discover the Power of the Secret Within - Healing your Inner Child to Manifest your Dreams.