Making Self-Care work

What can we do to reduce the effects of stress on our health?

Caught in all the tasks that have to be seen to on a daily basis, it is too easy to ignore the warning signs that our body is overloaded.

How can we become more aware of the effects stress has on our health, work and general well-being?

Often the answer is to stop, which is easier said than done... but if we continue to ignore the signals of our body that something is getting out of line, the universe will find a way to make us listen and the more obstinate we are, the  louder the signals will be. Have you ever wondered why your car broke down on the very day when you had to do a million and one things, or why you caught the flu or twisted your ankle at a time when you simply couldn’t afford any time off from your busy schedule?

The chances are that before all this happened, you had already been warned in some way that you were doing too much, but you just couldn’t break away from the multitude of tasks you had given yourself to do.

Deep down, we are all aware that good nutrition, fresh air and exercise, coupled with a positive, relaxed attitude to the ups and downs of life can greatly help reducing the risks of us becoming unwell.

Somehow what we fight more fiercely is what is of greatest benefit to us.

How then do we implement a self-care programme for ourselves, for improving physical and emotional well-being, thus reducing the risk of stress-related health problems?

By paying attention. By making time each day, regardless of how busy we are, to reflect and renew. Deep within each one of us, there is a well of inner resources through which we are able to bring ourselves back to balance and remain calm, regardless of the challenges each day brings to us.

We have at our disposal an array of techniques to enable us to reconnect with our inner self. Many find the path of mindfulness through their daily practice of Yoga, Qi-Gong or Meditation, others through dance, singing or playing a musical instrument. For some, it may be through long walks in nature or a swim in the sea, while others find inner peace through knitting, crocheting, painting, writing or pottery. Any art form leads us to the creator deep within and to the path of light. We are reconnecting with a place deep within ourselves where there is always peace and serenity and where we are accessing our own inner wisdom and can find inner bliss regardless of external circumstances.

And the beauty is that there is no need for a huge investment to make ourselves well. It does however take dedication, perseverance and the will to see things through. Many of us lead busy lives, rushing from place to place, caught in traffic jams, and working at optimum level under pressure to meet rising expectations.

Often it isn’t until we actually stop, step out of the merry-go-round and take quality time alone that we realise how stressed we actually were and the toll it took on our body and vital organs. When stress levels are high, we are more prone to becoming unwell. We often ignore the warning signs that our body is overloaded because we are caught in all these extra bills to be paid, deadlines to be met, loved ones to be taken care of.

When we become more aware of the effect stress has on our health, work and general well-being, we are more likely to find the motivation to implement self-care techniques to improve our physical and emotional well-being, thus reducing the risk of stress-related health problems. A good self-care programme will of course include good nutrition, fresh air and exercise, time and task management, positive attitude, healthy communication and relaxation techniques. But most importantly, it is a programme designed by ourselves to suit our own needs and lifestyle.

This is the only way we can guarantee that we can keep it up and make it work for ourselves. As we make more time available to access our inner self and tune in to what our body is saying, we are finding deep within ourselves a well of inner resources through which we are able to bring ourselves back to balance and remain calm regardless of the challenges each day brings to us. This inner self is easily accessed through our own creative path of mindfulness, leading us to a sense of harmony, clarity and well-being.