Self-care is an essential part of wellness. From self-massage to meditations to decluttering,The Little Book of Self-Care(Adams Media, 2017) reconnects you with your body, mind, spirit, and surroundings to leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face the world. Adams Media provides 100 relaxation exercises to help you focus on your own personal needs in an enjoyable way. By caring for yourself, you’ll learn how to care for the world around you. The following excerpt is from the “Spirit” section.
Embrace Family Traditions
Most families have rituals unique to their family that they celebrate year after year. If your family is lacking in traditions, go ahead and create some! They don’t have to be extravagant or elaborate. Brainstorm with your children and spouse about making a new family tradition. Perhaps something wonderful and spontaneous occurred as you were preparing to leave for summer vacation, the night before Thanksgiving, the afternoon of the first snowfall, or on the way to the pumpkin patch. Or maybe you had a pillow fight that ended with everyone making popcorn and s’mores and watching old movies in their pajamas. If it still evokes powerful memories for all of you, make it a tradition.
Other ideas might include an annual family cleaning day (when everyone pitches in to tackle the mess in the garage, basement, or attic), an annual family fun day (let a child choose what the family does for the day, even if it’s bug hunting), or an annual plant-a-garden day.
Understand the Law of Attraction
The law of attraction is based on the theory that we create our world through our thoughts and that what you focus on is what you get or create for yourself. Proponents of this law believe that if you go through life smiling, full of gratitude and recognition that life is abundant, you will act with honesty and generosity of spirit. You can also use the law of attraction to draw to yourself the recognition you desire. Let’s say the work you do is satisfying, but you want recognition for those big accomplishments and milestones.
1. Before you retire for the night, take five minutes to clear your mind.
2. Focus. Use your imagination to create a scenario in which you are receiving accolades, praise, and ovations by industry leaders, your business colleagues, and others.
3. Now, add your emotion to your imagined scene. Concentrate on your emotional feelings and mood as you listen to the words spoken by others about your achievements and accomplishments.
Reconnect with Your Spiritual Side
It’s human nature to maintain connections that are important to us, such as with friends and family. If we lose that all-important connection, then we do what we can to get it back. When it comes to our spiritual side, we often don’t make the same kind of effort. Losing our connection to our spirituality is much like the domino effect. We lose one thing, then another, and another until we get to a point where we feel drained and struggling to keep ourselves intact from the inside out. Make an effort to spend time reconnecting with your spiritual side. Rest, reflect, read spiritual writings, or talk with a spiritual adviser.
More from The Little Book of Self-Care:
• Self-Care Tips for the Body
• Self-Care Tips for the Mind
• Self-Care Tips for Your Surroundings
Excerpted fromThe Little Book of Self-Care: 200 Ways to Refresh, Restore, and Rejuvenateby Adams Media. Copyright © 2017 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.