Let’s wrap up our little self care mini series by looking at some examples of what self care might look like in recovery. Some will be obvious. Some might be surprising to you. I can’t give you step by step instructions on every way you can rest, recharge, and take care of yourself, but I can at least give you a list to get started with.
Caveat: I am hardly a master of self care. I can own my shortcomings, and one of them is sometimes skimping on this in my own life. I have no elaborate or well developed self care rituals, but I’m not really sure that self care has to be all that elaborate. Regardless, I urge you to seek other sources that might have better insight than I do on this topic. Just don’t let the gurus of self-care accidentally drive you into that justified avoidance we talked about yesterday.
Physical Self Care
The most obvious forms of self care are physical. Our bodies get tired, sick, and injured sometimes. We have to take care of them and give them opportunities to rest, recharge and … oh my God I’m going to say the word … heal. Physical self care doesn’t automatically mean soaking in a tub surrounded by candles. It might, but physical self care can also look like eating a proper meal rather than a jelly sandwich over the sink. It might mean taking a 15 minute break to just walk the dog around the block. Physical self care can be practicing some light stretching or progressive muscle relaxation every morning. Showering and getting dressed is self care. On some days just getting out of bed is self care. Wearing comfortable clothing can also be a form of self care. Are you getting the picture here?
Mental Self Care
This one is a bit trickier. For anxious people desperate for recovery, thinking and solving can become a full time job that occupies almost every waking moment. This can result in mental and cognitive fatigue. You have to give your brain a rest when you can. Mental self care can be turning out the lights, putting your phone down and listening to your favorite music. Reading things you love - not just anxiety books and articles - is mental self care. Learning something new just for the fun of it is mental self care. So is doing a crossword puzzle, drawing, or writing a poem or short story. Your brain deserves to disengage from problem solving to have some down time and fun time. That’s mental self care.
Emotional Self Care
Probably the most amorphous kind of self care. Emotional self care might include talking to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while or in some cases disengaging from friends and family for a day or two because you just need a break and some quiet time. This can be especially true during stressful times or situations full of strife, conflict, or drama. Emotional self care can be sitting quietly with your dog and telling her what’s on your mind. Another form of emotional self care might be taking time to tend to an intimate relationship because you value that connection and it nourishes your heart and soul.
Emotional self care might be drawing boundaries for yourself that protect you from emotionally taxing or draining people or situations. Journaling can be a form of emotional self care. Reminiscing and remembering are a form of emotional self care when you have happy or comforting memories and experiences to fall back on. Emotional self care can be nuanced and subtle but in many ways while it might be the hardest form of self care to define and practice, it also might be the most impactful.
We can only scratch the surface of this topic in a morning newsletter. Just keep in mind that the recovery process can be demanding and stressful … and so can life in general. Self care, used wisely and in the context of self-honesty, is a valuable tool that can help you along the path while also supporting your well being in general. That’s not bad. Not at all.
What are some of your preferred self care strategies?
Have you listened to this week’s episode of The Anxious Truth podcast? Check it out out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or my website and YouTube channel.
99. Some Examples of Self Care In Recovery