3 Pillars of Self Care

When you think of self-care what immediately pops into your mind? A massage? A quiet evening, maybe a bath? A day out on the town? While these are great most of us are totally neglecting basic self-care. Only when we have 3 solid pillars of self-care can we move on to some of the more fun aspects.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care at its core is literally caring for the self. Why is this so unusual in our society? Whether we realize it or not, our society demands a lot of us. We are asked to make sacrifices for the greater good over and over again. Occasionally we have some small concessions to the needs of the individual, but this is rare.

Unlike traditional cultures that honor our interconnectedness, our society demands sacrifices of individuals without factoring in meeting their basic needs.

So, we sacrifice over and over again. We care for others, hold a steady job, pay our bills. But that doesn’t mean that our needs are met, in fact, normally it is just the opposite. Even basic needs like hydration, sleep and nourishing foods are beyond the realm of most of us. These 3 things for our basic pillars.

Hydration
Sleep
Nourishment

Hydration

It is a well-known fact that a person can live for weeks without food, but water is a completely different story. Sixty percent of the human body is water. Therefore, making sure we have all the water we need is of paramount importance when it comes our bodies and minds.

When we begin to focus on hydration my recommendation is to only drink water until you feel that your body has regained its natural moisture. Here are some tips to get you started.

Begin the day with a large glass of cool (not cold) water. You can add a bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for additional help to balance your body’s PH.
Fill 2 quart or 1 half gallon jar with water and focus on drinking throughout the day. Alternately you could drink a glass of water every time you go to the bathroom. The point is to remember to drink water throughout the day.
In a pinch, a cool shower can add to hydration but beware that a hot shower could contribute to dehydration.

Focusing on meeting our body’s most basic need is a great way to show up for yourself day after day and tell yourself that you are a priority too.

Sleep

Did you know that sleep deprivation is a form of torture (THIS article talks about the effects of sleep deprivation on Navy Seals)? In addition to being really tough, it also wreaks havoc on basic bodily systems. Not getting enough sleep can even damage our eyesight.

When I was a new mom, I attended a playgroup. One of the other mothers said she routinely got between 3-4 hours of sleep a night. While this was great for her productivity–she was staying up to get quiet time after her children went to bed, her immune and digestive system was taking a nosedive.

As a young teen I had mono. For 3 months I lived with my grandparents because my parents were working and unable to care for me. My daily schedule was–sleep till 10 get up and have brunch. Stay up for a 2-3 hours, nap the afternoon away then get up for dinner and be up for another couple hours and back to bed for 12-14 hours. It was a tough road to recovery. My doctor told me I would always be at risk for sleep deprivation and that I should prioritize sleep.

While this advice was brought on by illness we should all make getting enough sleep a priority. This may mean skipping late night events or scheduling a daily nap.

Nourishment

There are many forms of eating out there from kosher and halal to vegan and everything in between. It is not my intention to tell anyone how to eat but rather to focus on what is particularly nourishing to you and avoiding processed foods and sugar.

Some of us were lucky enough to remember great meals at grandma’s house. While the food was most likely awesome the love that was poured into made it extra special. That is what I want you to think about when you plan your meals–loving your body enough to provide it with the best food possible. Some foods to consider including in your diet would be–

Traditional foods from your ancestors
Plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit
Local foods whenever possible
Whole grains
Traditional fermented foods
Herbs

How to implement the Pillars

I recommend beginning with hydration. Focus for a week on hydration taking steps to drink more water daily.

After a week begin focusing sleep. While night time sleep is of premium benefit in a pinch remember that all sleep counts including naps.

Once you are routinely getting enough water and sleep then have fun focusing on nourishment. Begin by planning healthy on the go breakfasts. My favorites are granola, oatmeal and egg cups.

Alternate a salad or sandwich for lunch finishing with a simple dinner.

I love cooking so I like to have a couple more complex meals a week that are as fun to prepare as to eat.

Next Steps

With in one month, you will feel amazing if you implement these steps. Not only are you meeting your physical needs but the act of telling yourself, “You matter, you deserve my care, I will show up for you every day–day after day.” You will have actually experienced it for one month. You will begin to know it as truth.

Now you can try adding in some other care practices such as