Stop the NOISE - a 3 Step Formula to Finding YOUR Self-Care Remedy - PART 1

I'm not too fond of massages. 

The thought of a stranger touching me makes me cringe. But what do 90% of people think of when I say self-care - “get a massage!”. Ugh!

If you’re like me, you’re tired of people telling you what to do when it isn’t something that works for you. Maybe one day I’ll find a massage that I enjoy, but in the meantime, let’s talk about another way…

Everywhere we look, there are headlines, articles, and videos: “the best form of self-care”, “How to spend more time on self-care”, and “what is and isn’t self-care.” 

The worst of them even shame people into thinking that certain things are not good enough to qualify as self-care.

It can be nauseating trying to keep up with it all. 

So many opinions, and so much preaching. But PSSSST…here’s a little secret - no one size fits all!

We are all in different seasons and have different experiences, different things bring us joy. I’m NOT here to tell you what you MUST do for self-care. The truth is ONLY YOU can figure that out. 

Here’s what you will find in the next two blog posts - a step by step to finding “Your Ideal Self-Care Remedy,” at this moment, by tapping into:

• What you need

• What brings you joy

• The season you’re in

I'll share some ideas for self-care from many different categories and walks of life, but this post is by no means exhaustive. In a future post, I’ll share some more tangible examples and would LOVE to hear from you to add to this list!

Step One: Figure out what type of self-care you most NEED

Step one is inspired by an article I recently read by Dr. Dalton-Smith called “The 7 types of Rest That Every Person Needs.” In this article, Dalton-Smith writes:

“We go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep — but in reality, we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need. The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired, and chronically burned-out individuals. We’re suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest.” 

- Saundra Dalton-Smith

She then dives into each of the seven types of rest on a deeper level which was eye-opening. To read more about each type of rest, click the link above to read the whole article. The seven types of rest are:

1. Physical Rest

2. Mental Rest

3. Sensory Rest

4. Creative Rest

5. Emotional Rest

6. Spiritual Rest

7. Social Rest

As I read this list, I thought - It could be easy to get caught up in prescribing a solution. We see a friend struggling, and we reach out to PUSH, the last thing that worked for US. 

Let’s pause and ask - what is the underlying cause, what do I need now? What do THEY need at that moment? Not what I THINK I need. Not what is TRENDING. Not what someone else prescribes. 

We’re getting it wrong. We’re trying to fix a broken bone with a band-aid. 

If you need sensory rest and you’re planning a “restful” vacation trip to Disney with your kids, NEWS FLASH, you might be setting yourself up for a meltdown.

So…what did you think of step one? I’ll be back in just a few days to share more on steps two and three:

• Notice what brings you joy

• Consider the season that you’re in

See you then and in the meantime take care of yourself and your dreams!

Let’s Connect

What did you find most empowering after reading this?

I’d love you to share it with me via my Instagram DM’s to continue the conversation.

I’m building a community of ambitious women who support each other in pursuing our biggest, boldest dreams, and I hope you will come along for the wild ride.