As women, it can be unpleasant to think about self-care without making that term synonymous with selfishness.

We are used to putting everyone else – our partners, our children, our friends, our co-workers, our clients – above our own needs. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but when the thoughts start entering our heads of what we need, we typically shove them away with a serving of guilt for even contemplating them. That IS a problem! Let’s do a little interior design inside of us this month!

Self Care is NOT Selfish

Sometimes, there is a selfish message that pervades our society, saying “make it all about you and what you want, and everyone else can simply get over it.” While that is a philosophy some choose to live by, it is a lonely ending because others will soon realize and pull away from a greedy person. Selfishness says “I want my way no matter what…” while self-care says “I want to take care of and better myself.”

If you continually tap out all your resources, others, while jeopardizing your own health and well-being, you allow others to dictate and control your life – even if they don’t mean to. Many of us who struggle to tell others “no” have to realize that saying yes to someone while hurting ourselves is not good for them or us! Saying “yes” to something is saying “no” to something else. Maybe I need to vacuum, but I would rather binge Netflix. One of those things will get a yes, and one will get a no. We must ensure we choose the greater “yes” for our lives and priorities. Putting our health and wellness on that list is not selfish. It is smart.

Self Care is MORE than Pampering

Who doesn’t love a good massage and beautiful nails? Often when we think of self care defined by massages and nails, but is so much more than pampering ourselves. Self Care is about health and wellness for ourselves. It is not selfishness, but also not self-soothing. To spend all my money on things to “make me feel better” may not leave me in a healthy position financially. I LOVE a day of pampering, but make sure that we are truly caring for ourselves in every area – not only what feels good for a day. 

Here are some other areas we need to make sure we are taking care of ourselves:

• Sleep

Make sure you get enough rest whether that is a power nap, or extra hours at night. So “no” to TV and say “yes” to some extra sleep.

• Hydrate 

Make sure you are giving your body enough healthy liquids. Say “yes” to more water, and “no” to more caffeine or carbonation.

• Meditate

A few minutes of stretching and deep breathing, calming your heart and mind, prayer, soft music…maybe all with that first cup of coffee…can do wonders to put your head in a calmer place to start your busy day. Taking breaks throughout the day – even for 5 minutes – to STOP. Breathe deeply, boost the oxygen in your blood, and clear your head for a moment is so important to lowering those stress levels throughout the day, which is vital to long-term health.

• Nature

Take a little time for some fresh air, let the breeze hit your face, and intentionally stop and feel it on your skin and appreciate it! Listen for the birds singing and let their song fill you up. Vitamin C and D from the sunshine is wonderful for your mood and outlook. Even on rainy days, don’t soak in a spirit of gloom, but instead learn to be thankful for what the rain is providing for the earth. Enjoy a cozier atmosphere on those days, and wrap yourself in the hug of the rain.

Self-Care is the BEST Way To Care For Others

When we take care of ourselves, the lives of those we love and care for will benefit. It becomes a positive cycle of taking care of me and others, instead of a negative cycle of harm. When we take care of ourselves, our lives have more quality. We will have more energy, stress levels will decrease, attitudes will improve, and we will breathe much easier booking care for ourselves.

Interior design deals with making the physical spaces around you functional and beautiful. However, your space could stay magazine gorgeous, and you still not have peace and pleasure in that space. Let’s focus this month on the interior design inside of us that also needs to function and be beautiful, so that we are just as excited about the person we are as the spaces we dwell.

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Interiors Revitalized is a full-service home staging, model home merchandising, and interior design firm located in Jacksonville Florida.  In addition to Jacksonville, we serve the  St. Johns, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Fleming Island, and Fernandina Beach areas. Contact us today at 904.625.2214 to discuss your home staging or interior design project.  We’ll make that first offer your best offer!

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