Dear lovely reader,
In light of the last year and couple weeks, I’m thinking you may need a little reminder about the importance of taking care of yourself. I know I have! Not only is self-care beneficial to you, it also helps those around you. From your household to your community, showing up as the best version of yourself is crucial to a satisfying and successful life.
Below, I’ve created a compilation of my previous posts about self-care, plus some suggestions for ways to take exquisite care of yourself immediately and in the coming weeks, months, and year!
If you’d prefer to read the posts in their entirety, I will link to them below.
In this post you will learn about:
Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First
Recalling the Magic of Simple Pleasures
Self-Care Stars
Bleckley House Gifts Gets a Makeover!
Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First
“…If you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself.”
Dalai Lama
Signs You Are in Need of Self-Care
●To do list feels never ending
●Overwhelmed
●Tired
●The feeling you’ll never “catch up”
Why Self-Care?
As the Dalai Lama says, it is not selfish to take care of yourself. You are doing yourself and others a disservice by NOT caring for yourself. By “putting your oxygen mask on first,” you are then capable of showing up in a wonderful way for friends and family.
Ways to Take Care Right Now
Here’s a tip: Make a list of all the things that make you happy. There are no rules, just write down anything and everything that brings you joy or good feelings.
Maybe you really love the classic show The Office. Add it to your list. What about that feeling when you eat a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar? Add it! Whatever it is, if it makes you feel better, it needs to be on your self-care emergency list.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to practice self-care:
●Journaling
●Yoga
●Going for a walk
●Listening to music that encourages my spirit
●Reading a book that inspires or fascinates me
●Hugging my husband
Still having trouble thinking of your own favorite self-care ideas?
Make a Self-Care Master Plan with this handy dandy tool from Free Period Press!
Acts of Service as Self-Care
“Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s needs.”
Frederick Buechner, American author and Presbyterian minister
In Helping Others, You Help Yourself
In a quick Google search about the benefits of service to others, I came upon an article from Psychology Today. The article explains that there is this term called “social regulation of emotion.”
Basically, we can help each other regulate our emotions! Which is GREAT news, because goodness knows we are all in need of some help regulating some major emotions right now.
I am happy to report that if you know someone who is feeling down, YOU can help him or her through some proven methods. I will link the article here so that you can check it out for yourself, if you’re interested. Bottom line: this is so good to hear!
One of the most interesting things I read in the article was that just by intending to be generous, we can generate neural change (yes, that’s neural, like in your brain itself!) and feel happier. Now, not to be too judgy, but I would argue that even though just committing to being nicer is great and all, I would like to suggest that you actually DO something meaningful.
Get Inspired to Serve Others
If you already know what you can do in order to be of service to others, great! If not, I highly recommend chatting with someone close to you. Whenever I feel like I need some inspiration, I ask a friend or family member what they think.
Often, they remind me of the best qualities about myself that I think we all tend to downplay. In my case, I am reminded that I am generous, kind, empathetic. Now that’s a good starting point, and I can think of several ways to share those qualities with others!
Still not feeling inspired?
Check out the The Self-Care Zine in the shop! We all have a lot of work to do to create a more loving and just world, but you can’t take care of others unless you’re taking care of yourself. We have collected some of their favorite things into this handy pocket guide to help cheer you up when you’re feeling bleh.
Recalling the Magic of Simple Pleasures
“Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world,” he said wisely one day, “but people don’t know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen. I am going to try and experiment.”
Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Allowing Yourself to Feel Happiness
Maybe you’ve had this experience. You’re sitting there, feeling really content, and all of a sudden you feel that pang of guilt and start recalling all the reasons you shouldn’t be happy. I certainly hope you haven’t, but unfortunately I think we all have been there at some point. Here’s the thing, though: those little everyday pleasures should be celebrated and considered a crucial part of everyday life.
Discover What Makes You Happy
Let’s set aside the guilty feelings and discuss what pleasure really means: enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one’s liking; gratification; delight. What delights you? Certain scents? Flavors? Sounds? Sights?
Act on the Happiness
I hope you will consider this a gentle reminder to slow down for a moment and enjoy a simple pleasure of your own. It could simply be burning your favorite candle while you get ready in the morning, adding cream to your coffee, or cuddling up with a good book by a window. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, I believe we can find the magic of a simple pleasure in the day somewhere.
Even if it’s just for a few minutes, I believe we can find the magic of a simple pleasure in the day somewhere.
Bleckley House Gifts
Self-Care Stars
Are you looking for beautiful new products to make your 2021 a little sweeter? Well, search no more! Here are a few of the “Self-Care Stars” from the shop:
The Habit Calendar is super straight-forward; you write the habits you want to track in the left column and check off the habits you’ve completed at the end of every day. There are spaces to track weekly and monthly habits too.
#2 The Flora Weekly Planner with Self-Care Prompts
Do you love to read? Maybe you want to start taking a walk every morning after your first cup of fresh coffee? With this perfect sized weekly planner, you not only get life organized, you also plan to take care of yourself and do those things you love most. With an understated bulleted list off to the side of your plans, you will have a gentle reminder to include self-care, movement, and hydration in your day as well as the other essentials.
#3 The Intentional Night Journal Calm darkness, twinkling stars, the mysterious moon. Find solace in those precious moments before sleep with this artfully intentional journal to guide you through your ideal nightly routine. This would be an excellent companion to the Intentional Day Journal.
Bleckley House Gifts Is Getting a Makeover!
To celebrate the new year, I am giving the shop a little makeover. Please be patient with me as I learn all the things! In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you can’t find something, or if you have any questions about your favorite products.
I’m so excited to continue showing off all the beautiful goods that small, local businesses around South Carolina and the USA are making!
I pinky promise I will keep you posted on the launch date for the new shop as soon as it is ready. In the meantime, you can still shop til you drop over at the current shop!
Don’t be a Stranger!
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