What do you do to self-nurture?

2much2recover

Well-Known Member
What kinds of things do you do to self-nurture yourself? I am a nurturer by nature and I fell in to a hole when I lost my developmentally delayed sister with whom I was able to nurture without being bitten. Seems I can take of other people but have a hard time doing things to take care of myself.
Anyways, what do you do to take care of yourself? Budget ideas welcome!
I do: do my own nails and facials, get my hair done and (an OD on chocolate LOL) take care of my husband and my sweet little rescue dog..............as you can see having a problem with finding things to do to nurture ME.
Any and all ideas welcome!
(I am disabled which puts a crimp in some things)
Thanks in advance.
:lady:
 

Scent of Cedar *

Well-Known Member
Namaste Yoga : Season 1 Sample Episode - YouTube
► 23:55► 23:55
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtJS-5xZnTs

This is a beautiful series, a beautiful way to start the day.

I have Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD.

Another incredible thing is to watch the sun rise. Not to meditate to it or to do anything but enjoy your coffee or tea and simply be present as the day opens. Once when I was so drained, I found myself taking joy just from knowing I would be there the next morning, watching the sun rise and hearing the sounds that attend it.

The birds sing into it, I think. They seem to fall into a hush as the sun breaks over the horizon.

The wind changes too, as the day comes in.

Anne Lamott on my Facebook. Eckhardt Tolle, Richard Rohr, Huffington Post on my Facebook.

These things I love are like surprises when I see them roll up unexpectedly.

Mostly that is all I have on my Facebook.

I love it.

Cedar

Oh, wait.

Supersoul Sunday. Book TV on the weekends and holidays. The most incredible discussions. Also, TED or TEDx. If you google TED and youtube, an entire plethora of things you might want to know about comes up.

Brene Brown and vulnerability.

She is on TED too, now that I think about it.

Mostly, I believe self nurturing is in our perceptions of ourselves. Are we spending quality time with ourselves, or are we allowing our egos to torture and rule and destroy us, to hurt us or waste up our time?

For the past weeks I have been into (I still am) berating myself for being ugly, repulsive, you name it. I don't know why, and I don't exactly know how to stop doing that for right now. I think it might be displaced anxiety for all of us over how wrong everything seems to be when we watch the news.

Maybe I had best stop watching the news!

****

One more: In the shower, cup your hands. Whisper: "Grasp the vine and...drink."

Take a sip of the water.

Very nice.

Another: This is a Buddhist practice.

Take a deep breath.

Say, "I never did mind, about the little things."

Smile.

Wishing you healthy and whole and well and happy, 2m2r.

:O)
 

recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Nice post 2m2r, it's always good to remind ourselves how to nurture ourselves. Professionals call it self soothing, which is a crucial component of self love & self care. Many of us didn't learn how to do that as kids. I didn't, I've had to learn how to nurture myself.

For me, self nurturing has become a whole lifestyle. I have daily practices of self care like eating a very, very clean diet, exercising, walking, sleeping well and enough, not drinking alcohol..........keeping sugar to a minimum as well as other foods which aren't healthy for me.............making sure my habits are healthy and good for me.

I go to an acupuncturist every couple of weeks to keep my body/mind/spirit in a place of peacefulness. I also go to a reflexologist for the same reasons. I have massages, facials and mani-pedis regularly. I make sure all my Dr. and Dentist visits are maintained. I believe in health being all about mind/body/emotions and spirit.

I do a lot of juicing.

I meditate. I spend alone time in a sanctuary I created which has my favorite comfy things in it, surrounded by plants and beauty, and it has a sky light too! I read uplifting books. I do not watch the news nor much TV.

I watch Eckhart Tolle videos daily and practice his techniques on presence.

I listen to calming, peaceful music at home and at work.

I surround myself with positive, loving people whom I trust. I've learned a lot about boundaries (!) which keeps me safe now, so I am relaxed and comfortable and feel nurtured by my friends and those in my immediate sphere. I keep myself out of chaos and negativity as much as I can. I can control my environment, so I do by only allowing in it what I want in it.

I work in a positive, healthy environment. I insist on being treated with respect and dignity and appreciation and I am.

I laugh a lot. My husband is a very funny guy so that's easy. All the people I hang out with all have a well developed, wonderful sense of humor, so laughing is a big part of my life.

I practice gratitude every day. And, it increases as I do that.

I always have flowers in the house. I have a lot of house plants and outdoor plants and flowers which I love to nurture. I make every attempt to surround myself with what I consider beauty.

I love to cook for those I love. I love to find new recipes. I find cooking to be relaxing and it feels nourishing to me.

I spend time with my girlfriends. That feels like soul food.

My husband and I go on long hikes in the woods and at the ocean..........being in nature is very nurturing and healing for me. We live relatively near the ocean and both of us love to be near the water, so we go regularly. Almost every weekend.

I love to go away for the night or the weekend, so we plan fun outings in new places..........creating new adventures.........fun AND nurturing.

For me, self nurturing has become how I live everyday. I've come a long way from a person who didn't know anything about it. As I wrote this, I realized how much I really do do to nurture myself. Thanks 2m2r!!
 

nlj

Well-Known Member
I take a book and drive to a cafe at one of the beaches near here. I get a pot of Earl Grey tea - in a china teapot with a china cup and saucer - and I find a quiet table with a view of the waves and lose myself in my book.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I get regular manicures and pedicures. Nothing cheers me up like seeing purple toes. Or bright red.

I read a lot, pet my dog, talk to the cats...
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Listen to music, meditate, take hot bubble baths and read in the tub (yes, that's right READ IN THE TUB...lol), light scented candles and incense, distract myself by watching movies when I'm getting overwhelmed with the now and love on my therapy doggies.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Exercise is the best way for me to take care of myself. Mostly because it helps not only physically but also mentally! Without it I would surely lose my mind. With it, I am always in a good mood for at least a few hours. However, that doesn't mean I always feel like exercising. I have to make myself go to bootcamp or to the health club.

I also read and sometimes just mindlessly watch tv.

Laughter is key to. Like RE, my husband is very funny and we laugh every day. We even laughed through (what I hope were) difficult child's darkest days. Humor kept us going when nothing else did.

For me church is also a good way to take care of myself. I love the peacefulness and quiet time to practice my faith.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
I take walks while blasting good music through my headphones, read good mystery novels, and take warm baths with my cat. Yes, that's right, with baths with my cat. He sits on the ledge of the bathtub and lets me pet him while I'm soaking. You have no idea how much it's like therapy for me. If only I could take a break and do these things at work my anxiety would be cured!
 
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