They say, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” but is that realistic?
Society pushes us constantly to act like our feelings are nonexistent and that we must push through our dilemmas without feeling. Unfortunately for society, we are not robots. We are human beings! We have feelings, and it is time we turn the page and recognize that. Life gives you obstacles constantly, and instead of barreling through them like a force of nature, one must really assess the situation.
It should be encouraged that, before anything else, you must think of yourself. Some might say this is selfish or egotistical, but in all candor, this thought process should be supported. There is one person you will spend the rest of your life with, and it’s you! You must take care of yourself and really feel your feelings. Be in tune with yourself and listen to what your body and self needs. The question is, how do we really accomplish this?
This will be a journey and it does not happen easily. Why? Because we have probably never really listened to ourselves before. To start off simply, take a week to see what your body really feels. If you are tired but are stressed about the countless things on your to-do list, the answer is simple- take a nap. If you are worked up about losing weight but you are always hungry - eat healthy food. Whatever you do, do it because you have your own best interest at heart. These are just simple ways to get into the habit of listening to yourself.
The next step is to spend time with yourself through geared activities. Activities like yoga, meditation, going on walks, or working out are great ways to show your mind and body some love. You have to make time. Give up watching that one episode on Netflix, sacrifice the half an hour you spend on your phone before bed, be productive before you spend lounging about.
You may argue these are the ways you wind down after a long day, but this helps you relax physically not mentally. Have you noticed that after spending time doing these activities you still go to bed stressed worrying about the day’s events or the day you may have tomorrow? This is because you didn’t take the time to work through what you were feeling in regards to your situation.
Spending time to do yoga or meditating will help you focus on yourself. It won’t be easy and it takes practice, but it is 100% worth it. Yoga helps improve your strength, flexibility, and balance while mediation helps you relieve stress and anxiety. Using these two together will help promote a happy and healthy relationship between your mind and your body.
To everyone reading: take some time practicing spending time with yourself. Once you start to love and help yourself, you can start to show this love to others. Take time and enjoy this journey to self-love.
“Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Fall in love with the path of deep healing. Fall in love with becoming the best version of yourself, but with patience, with compassion and respect your own journey.” -S. McNutt
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