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I recently asked how you’ve stayed busy during quarantine, and today’s question is similar, but a bit more specific.
As stress, tensions, and my anxiety had ebbed and flowed throughout the progression of this pandemic, I’ve had to become very intentional about my self-care. After a particularly rough week, a conversation with a friend reminded me that I hadn’t been taking that time for myself )which could have contributed to my overall dissatisfaction with life lately).
I’m finding it necessary to intentionally set time aside for self-care, otherwise it’s falling by the wayside. Yesterday and today, I spent some time writing, being with my daughter outdoors, resting, and meditating. I’m already in a better headspace after taking some time to do those things!
What are your self-care tips? Have you found it more difficult to tend to your mental and emotional needs during this time? What is your favorite self-care activity?
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Self-care is the most important thing.
For me, self-care means caring for everything and everyone in my attention, coming from a calm and peaceful self. It is not about what you do, but how you do it. Doing everything mindfully, that is with awareness, is self-care. It specifically means being out of the mind. Not thinking. Literally. Not conceptualizing. Just being. In the moment. Tapping in into the realm of timelessness, vast space and stillness. The realm of Reality that exists beyond the mind. It’s huge.
There are many doorways to this realm.
Meditation (which is everything you do with awareness) is a great one. You can meditate all day and get everything done with a lot less stress.
Nature is a great doorway too, walking outside in an environment that is not too much disturbed by artificial impressions. Listening to the birds, feeling the wind, smelling the flowers, counting your footsteps. Being there in choiceless awareness, not focused on anything in particular but with a wide view in your eyes and heart. Do not compare, compete or criticize. Just comply to the experience of being. Basically it means getting out of the way, not obstruct the natural flow which you are.
Not reacting is good way to stay in this calm realm. The mind always wants to react. Resist that. Mostly it is unnecessary. Just observe and don’t judge. Enjoy what is happening from the space it is happening in. Feel the urge to react come up in the mind, hold it into your attention and feel it flow away also. Then nothing really happened. A hick-up of the mind passing by, not more. Hence the expression “never mind”.
By the way, I find the things I do to maintain my physical health like the nebulizing sessions (pranayama) and physiotherapy (walking with the dog) also very meditative and calming. For me this also registers as self-care.
Eye-opener: taking good care of yourself this way is not egoistic. To be there for others, you first have to Be There. To be there, you have to be with yourself. From that place your actions will be much more benevolent than if they came as a reaction from the mind, which is mostly impulsive, wrongly informed, distorted and exaggerated.
Warning: most experiences that have to do with society, talking, and so-called civilization tend to pull you out of yourself. They try to address the mind only. Be aware of that and first direct your attention inwardly. From that position you can be great company for yourself and others.
And don’t forget sleep! It’s an excellent way to care for yourself and be out of the mind.
Namaste,
Paul
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