★Self♡Care Not Self Control

˚blessings upon blessings  

Posted on 06/09/2009. Last edited on 17/06/2020.

This thread was started in 2009… It is a discussion thread…I’d like to see it revived…What does self-care mean to you TODAY?

• 
  _~affirmationBy nurturing myself , my disposition has a positive frequency for being present for others

related threads in present in process
best friend

the following is from the 2009 thread

• • ~ We all know that loving ourselves is essential to bringing the best of the best to our lives. In the process of nurturing yourself, do you focus on the full picture of taking care of yourself?

And what does this full picture look like for you?

If you were building anything worthwhile, you ignore nothing that is important. Are you leaving out things for your self-care that need your full-attention?

Sometimes, things are simply on the back burner. Are some of your areas on a burner, or did you leave them out of sight, where they never will even reach a burner?

You’re worth it. So, this thread is about getting you to think of more than the age old goal of doing what’s good for you, but also thinking outside what you regularly plan for. Think… What else could you bring into your world that needs your help..?
Use this thread to help you clarify your self-care thoughts that need you to think a little more..to bring them to light.

. . . and there was a new voice,
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world . . .
Mary Oliver

• • ~
    ►• The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. It is a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form. by Eckhart Tolle
  • ~
    ►• The acid test for truly high self-esteem is this: Do you, when you
    occasionally happen to focus your awareness on yourself, spontaneously
    experience a subtle surge of warmth and love, as you do
    perhaps when you pause to think lovingly of your sweetheart, spouse
    or child? If you do, however fleeting this sense of warmth and love
    toward yourself may be, you are one of those rare individuals who
    has a genuine appreciation and regard for your own intrinsic worth..~☼Lilbum S. “Barks’* Barksdale
  • ~

• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  links which relate in process
  WellBeing

• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  article by Jennifer Louden on Selfcare

Creative, Connected Self-Care

Most self-care materials are related to how you manage your own needs when taking care of others, especially when other people are ill or incapacitated. Since there are so many resources out there already related to that angle, this article fleshes out the idea of self-care in a couple of directions. The first relates to how we creatively care for ourselves when we are feeling full, luscious, and charged with energy. I love it when I wake up and for no apparent reason I feel on top of the world! It inspires me to make a special morning beverage, do a long glorious stretch to the sky, or hug my daughter with extra energy. I know that the more we fully engage in that positive energy charge, the longer it lasts and the more we spread it to others. Try to think of yourself in an overflowing, positive frame of mind and imagine what you would do…can you feel your energy flowing and your muscles relaxing?

Secondly, research has shown that just watching a person do something nice for someone else increases the release of positive chemicals from the brain and our energy goes up. The opposite is also true where seeing negative things either causes our brains to go into neutral or causes stress-related responses. So whether we are watching those around us or watching ourselves, we cannot help but be affected on multiple levels. Our attitudes are incredibly important so the next time you take a few extra minutes of sleep, get your hair cut, or go running, try to stay in the flow of positivity – watch yourself taking good care and let the positive juju flood you as if you were seeing someone else that you love being tended by a gentle, loving caregiver. It makes it more likely that you will get the maximum benefits from your efforts and have more left over to share. We have the power to author our own narrative about self-care!

In sum, self-care is not just for those who are formal caregivers. All of us care for others in our life through our work, families, pets, and friends. We must be careful not to add self-care to our “to do” list where it becomes charged with “should” energy. Be clear and be spontaneous – give yourself little boosts when that mischievous energy sneaks in or when you just want to hug a tree, kiss a flower, or nuzzle a peach. Your daily self-care can be as creative and loving as you are!

˚blessings upon blessings  

Posted on 07/09/2009. Last edited on 03/12/2009.

For myself, I need to take a regular inventory of what I’m doing versus what I think I’m doing.

Oh, my dear, you are psychic!! This is a subject on my mind, but not because I am good at it… because I need some improvement!!

I have some ideas about what it means personally – that I thought I’d share.

Self Care – for the body -

1) Healthy diet & plenty of water
2) Loving movement – at least 30 minutes per day

Self Care – for the mind -

1) A massage from your loved one (or paid)
2) A bubble bath and a good, uplifting book
3) Friends that you can count on when you need them

Self Care – for the soul -

1) Meditation
2) Soft, soothing music
3) Beautiful fragrances wafting through the air

Self Care – that everyone is rewarded

1) A clutter-free, clean environment
2) A peaceful place to congregate and unwind – soul inspiring ambiance
3) Time with a person who practices regular self-care :)

Dear Meditatingmama;
Can you say Utopia?
I see I have more things to visualize now…:)

You are so cute, Jancy! :) hehehe…

In response to meditatingmama’s post:
i love your ideas for self care ,just reading them makes me feel calm,thank you so much ,love flowergirl

˚blessings upon blessings  

Posted on 01/07/2010. Last edited on 05/04/2018.

Self Care  /link broken (will replace soon)

here is the link!

while I'm here, self care affirmation(:

In response to Laurie~LovesFocusingWell’s post:
This is a great tool Laurie and just what I need at the moment….
Slowly repairing the damage caused by leaving ‘self’ to the back burner….
Being a martyr isnt self-less – its actually very selfish and inward…rather like the ‘poor me’s’. This is damaging to every situation around you – believe me, I am talking from experience.

Back ‘on the wagon’ of healing and loving self an appreciating every inch of my being from the inside out.

Simply coming to this site and reading randon posts can uplift and put me back on track – it should be and will be the forefront of my day. When I come ere first thing in the morning my day is better focused and….BETTER all round!!

at the age of 53 im finally learning i need to take care of myself and realising the amount of neglect and abuse i have subjected myself to is unreal .

Up until just recently, I seldom, if ever, thought about self care. Oh sure if i cut my finger I would clean the wound, put on an antibiotic and bandage it up and go about my business. I began watching my health about 9 years ago when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. I am doing pretty good controlling my sugar intake and have prolonged having to take insulin. I sleep with a CPAP mask helping me breath during the night and I feel good most of the time. As I am getting older, I am having constant pain in my feet and joints. These are just little bumps and bruises along the road to old age. And then there is Self-Care.

I discovered what Self Care is through this site. Our community members, our wonderful moderator, and new owner have taught me to look deep inside my heart and see just who is living there. This person, now affectionally called Poppy, has been with me quite a long time and is just now truly finding his voice.

Have always considered myself a nice guy, warm, friendly, caring, and always willing to help others I have found I am more than just that nice guy, and capable of helping myself more than I ever dreamed possible. It all started with a dream. A sweet dream.

My tired old analytical mind says there is quite a difference between dreaming and reality. Dreaming can be pleasant or unpleasant, but they are just dreams. Then on the other hand there is the cold hard facts-reality. The things that hit you in the face and leave a bruise. Almost in the same instant, my metaphysical brain tells me this discussion is more concerned with abstract thought such as existence, causality, or truth. That we can use our thoughts as co-creators of our own personal reality using intellectual and philosophical tools to create our dreams. By extension, using our Spiritual-brain, (what I call Spark) we further distinguish from our physical nature to a spiritual approach to life.

“We are able to be comfortable in our own skin and we are at peace anywhere. We see and appreciate the beauty of uncertainty.” – AppreciationView

“If we are at peace, then we are happy and have obtained a sense of bliss. “Bliss for me is about living in the moment, when you have what you need in that moment. Then its possible to create a moment of bliss. It could be be as simple as eating a chocolate bar when you’re hungry or a relaxing bath when you’re tired…” -Bunique

I agree Bliss is living in the moment and it can be very simple. I’m also not sure it is possible to live in a state of bliss..Where I differ is that I think it a worthy goal. You would be accepting yourself the same way you accept others, for being who they are.
 
 

˚blessings upon blessings  

Posted on 10/10/2016.

In response to Poppy’s post:
enjoying your thoughts very much! want to come back and reread (you said quite a bit that I’d like to digest) (:

In response to SelfCare/AppreciationView˚‘s post:

I just retread it too. It was a mouthful. I need to chew on it a little more also. I hope it doesn’t give either one of us heartburn!

˚blessings upon blessings  

Posted on 11/10/2016.

In response to Poppy’s post:
no heartburn here(: I was truly loving the way you worked through what selfcare has meant for you(: