lets go further down this rabbit hole of self care and the different types of self care. Tonight I am going to cover Emotional Self Care. Everything that will be covered tonight is going to be absolutely free so yes no cost to learn something new!!!
Emotional Self Care is being able to care for yourself Emotionally. This means having the capability to identify what you need emotionally, teaching yourself how to identify these needs and how to express emotions in a healthy way.
Allow yourself to feel your emotions. DO NOT BOTTLE THEM UP! If you are upset or sad,cry. if you are mad, think it through and then leave the room and scream.If you are happy, dance it out ! Allow your emotions to flow.
As someone who really struggles with Anxiety, keeping my emotions in check often times seems next to impossible!! Especially my anger. I often find myself lashing out over the smallest things. But I am working on it. I am working on doing things like trying to think before I speak, but more importantly trying to determine what battles are worth fighting and which are not!
Growing up my dad always told me to KIS. Keep It Simple ( some of you know it as Keep It Simple Stupid, but for the sake of being positive, KIS). Asking for help. I know when my day gets rough or I am really struggling with my emotions I have a rough time asking for help. But this is something we really need to do. I am a talker, however some things I really struggle with expressing. So when I first started talking to someone about my anxiety and troubles, I went home, I sat down with my husband and I said to him " I am really going to need your help." I think this is the first time I have genuinely opened up and asked for help from my husband with my emotions. I told him if I am getting crazy, bitchy, sad what ever it be that I needed his help in identifying it. I asked him to stop me and make me step away and take some breaths. This way I can learn to identify it myself. So even if you just need a Hug, or you are ready to ask for help like I did, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR IT!
Unlike the previous post where I discouraged social media use, today I am going to talk about when we do use it, how we can use it to better our emotional state. Start by unfriending TOXIC PEOPLE and PAGES. I do not recommend deleting people based on political views, but if you truly feel that person is toxic to you directly by all means do so. The same with family if you feel someone you are related to is toxic and you do not want them in your life delete them.... However I do not recommend deleting them from social media if you are not going to delete them from your actual life. So think about this before hitting delete or unfollow. If you find you are following a page on social media that is consistently posting a lot of negative posts, unlike and unfollow!! do not think twice!
Also when it comes to social media, remember you too can be toxic. If you for one minute think you have never posted something toxic ( rather you did it knowingly or not) you are mistaken. ever made a passive aggressive post ?? that can be considered toxic. What about that time you aired someones dirty laundry on FB.... yep that too is toxic. We have all done it at one point or another . Social Media has allowed us all to become so desensitized to the fact that we are still humans and we still have feelings. So do others. We need to remember to be sympathetic and empathetic to one another.
So start by being non toxic for 1 whole week. Post only POSITIVE Things..this may mean for those of us who like to share our political views that you need to stop that. For one week uplift and encourage other people! Set aside your differences and be kind!
While you are on social Media go into your memories and delete are the crappy toxic posts you have made in the past and reminisce on happier days! The beginning of the year is always rough for not only myself but my family. January brings about the loss of not only my step dad but someone I think of as my aunt. January also brings about the birthday of my step dad. However I really like to take the time and think back to the time we had with them. How my step dads terrible singing is greatly missed. I laugh I cry but it is always a healthy emotional outlets. But when scrolling through each days memories I will find videos of when the small human was a little bitty thing and I laugh even more!
The last thing I want to cover before heading out for the night is to learn a breathing technique.
I have taught myself to use the 4-7-8 Method.
Breath in through your nose for 4 Seconds
Hold your breath for 7 Seconds
and exhale forcefully through your mouth for 8 Seconds.
This helps to calm yourself, relieve tension and it really makes you think before you act.
I suggest doing this at least five times before doing anything else! Once you implement this into doing it when frustrated start working it into daily habits such as when you wake up, sit there in your bed for a moment and do it! Do it before bed time as well. You will be surprised at how much breathing can change your thoughts and help to reign in your emotions!!
okay everyone, I am off for the night. Keep posted for the remaining six types of self care over the next few weeks! Remember to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as well!
It is the absence of communication which increases anxiety. I face the same problem. I talk, but not about what's really bothering me. It's not that I don't want to talk. Its just so hard to get the words out. I am struggling with anger management. some days are good. But some days I just lash out. Working on it, however.
ReplyDeleteI've really been working on self-care the last few years and I'm feeling so much more strong because of it. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
ReplyDeleteI do the breathing technique and I taught my son with autism as well. It really helps a lot. Self-care is incredibly important! If I need a break from social media, I take it.
ReplyDeleteI actually just blocked someone today because I did not agree with his views on social media. It actually made me feel anxious because he was posting over and over again the same things, that the Chinese people are deserving what is happening to them now because they are not vegetarian. Every time I went on Facebook there was another similar post from him, more attacks... and I just deleted him. It's interesting how social media can make you anxious..
ReplyDeleteThis is so true about posting on social media. We need to be careful about not coming across as toxic
ReplyDelete4-7-8 Method sounds fab I will remember it next time I need it!
ReplyDeleteI like to do that breathing technique before bed to relax.
ReplyDeleteSelf care is critical. If you want to keep the KISS acronym, you could always say, Keep it simple, Sweetheart!
ReplyDeleteLack of opening up and communication with one another can really deteriorate our mental and emotional health. My partner is a prime example, as was I. I try and encourage him to open up but he won't and it's ultimately led him to a text a received this morning asking me for help. Needless to say I told him so.
ReplyDeleteSelfcare is critical to your wellbeing. I use to be the one that bottled it up and it isn't healthy at all.
ReplyDeleteI would really like to incorporate a breathing technique into my routine. I think it's overlooked but so so important to our health.
ReplyDeleteThese really good and helpful. I don't really use social media a lot but only for my business, but will keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteIt is so important to guard the avenues to the soul from external negativity. Many things that bring negative emotions are from external sources that can be avoided which is a great way to do emotional self-care.
ReplyDeleteEmotional self care is just as important! I forget about this one.
ReplyDeleteKeeping my emotions in check is definitely something I struggle with. I can't be aware of every emotion that pops up through out the day because I'm often busy. So, I go into a kind of survival mode. I think we all do. Thanks for this reminder!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your views regarding toxic social media pages and people - I have also unfollowed those communities where the posts have jarred my sensibilities. It is so important to take care and be cautious.
ReplyDeleteFinding ways to cope and help make it easier does help. Something simple like deep breathing can be an amazing stress buster for emotions in turmoil.
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ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people forget about the mental self care, it is just as important as physical selfcare. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely post, I think selfcare is very important both physically and mentally/emotionally.
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