“Kindness is the best nourishment for humanity.” ~ Debasish Mridha
Have you ever given more than you had to give and ended up feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and even a little bit resentful?
Well, if so, you are not alone. As women we often fall into the role of caring for everyone in our lives except for our selves, which leads to living life on empty.
When we consistently care for others without caring for ourselves we risk becoming sick, chronically stressed, depressed, shut down and lacking joy and meaning. In this state we wind up not feeling good about anything we do and our initial loving intention for giving turns into frustration and obligation.
The longer we operate like this and do not refuel our tanks, the more we feel taken for granted or taken advantage of and the more impatient and irritable we can become as we try to keep our heads above water.
Although this is a common experience for women, it does not have to be that way. Imagine instead another way of living. One where we transform the way we care for others by first deeply caring for ourselves. We can start by treating ourselves with the nourishing balm of kindness and compassion that we desire to spread in the world.
We have the power to re-ignite the positive feelings we experience nurturing others by intentionally nurturing ourselves each and every day. In this new way of being, self-nurturing becomes the antidote to feeling overwhelmed and exhausted and the key to nourishing ourselves in order to flourish and thrive.
Self-nurturing is more expansive than self-care and focuses on the relationship that we have with ourselves, rather than just the acts of caring. That is why I define self-nurturing as the practice of deeply nourishing, cherishing and encouraging our own growth and potential.
Here are seven easy ways to introduce self-nurturing into your day and nourish so you can flourish and thrive. Start by choosing one idea and then you can add more activities into your self-nurturing practice over time.
- Healthy Food Choices
When we think about nourishing ourselves we often think of food so we are going to start here. Making healthy food choices is an empowering way to nurture your self throughout the day. Use each opportunity to bring intention and awareness to what your body needs and then choose foods that uplift, energize and nourish you!
- Exercise
Taking care of our bodies by exercising supports both our physical and mental health. Choose a form of exercise that you enjoy and enlist a friend to make it more fun. Commit to some form of exercise like walking, stretching, yoga, strength building, running, dancing, taking a class or engaging in sports a few times a week to nurture, energize and support your health and wellbeing.
- Experiences That Bring You Joy
Engage in experiences that bring you joy each and every day. Start by creating a list of activities that bring you joy, like being in nature, connecting with family and friends, being creative, watching a sunset and then include at least one of them in your schedule every day. Joy is the great elixir and is deeply nourishing, so be sure you add a daily dose to help you flourish and thrive!
- Cultivate Meaningful Connections
We know that the people we spend our time with impacts the expectations we hold of ourselves, how we feel, what we think and talk about, and our ability to flourish and thrive – so choose wisely. Cultivating meaningful and supportive connections is critical to encouraging our growth and potential and is an important part of self-nurturing. Spend more time with people who help you feel uplifted and positive and less time with those that drain you. If you are not sure who those people are, start by bringing awareness to how you feel after you spend time with different people and then make nurturing choices in the future.
- Spend Time Alone
With all the noise and stimulation in our lives, spending time alone is a wonderful way to refuel and nurture our selves. Engaging in any activity alone can be nourishing but activities like meditation, mindfulness, reading, prayer, gratitude practice, setting intention and journaling are wonderful ways to spend time by your self. Find time each day to reconnect with yourself in silence for a few minutes, even if you have to wake up early to make it happen. I promise you will find it deeply nourishing!
- Connect with Nature
Nature is the place where most people feel rejuvenated and refreshed. Spending time each day in nature is deeply nourishing but may be easier for some and more difficult for others. Explore the area where you live and find places where you can connect with nature. Take a walk down the street, in a local park or just go outside and look up at a tree. Take a few moments to breathe in and out and notice all the beauty and blessings around you.
- Allow Time for Play
In our busy hectic lives, allowing unstructured time for play is so deeply nourishing. Whether we play on the floor with kids and/or pets, play a board game with friends, laugh, or color in an adult coloring book, being playful fuels our creativity, enthusiasm and joy for life. Allowing time for play opens us to a fresh perspective and connects us to a feeling of thriving, so include time for fun and play in your day!
Can you imagine incorporating one of these nurturing ideas into your day? Give yourself permission to start small and then add new activities over time. I believe you will find that when we consistently nourish ourselves, we easily transform feeling overwhelmed and exhausted into a deep joy for living. When we come from this joyful, abundant and nourished place, life feels easier, more peaceful and harmonious. When we nurture others from this filled up place, we are happier in the giving and our relationships improve. And our most important relationship – the relationship we have with ourselves – flourishes and thrives!
This process of self-nurturing is beautifully self-fulfilling because the more you nurture yourself; the more you value and respect yourself. The more you value and respect yourself, the more you prioritize nurturing yourself and everyone benefits. And what’s more, you will be a wonderful example for your kids, family and other women of what it looks like to nourish yourself in order to flourish and thrive!
Steve Maraboli asks a perfect closing question: “How would your life be different if…You were conscious about the food you ate, the people you surround yourself with, and the media you watch, listen to, or read? Let today be the day…You pay attention to what you feed your mind, your body, and your life. Create a nourishing environment conducive to your growth and well-being today.”
May you commit to nourishing yourself in order to flourish and thrive and may you nurture peace in the world from the inside out!
Peace, love and gratitude, Kelley
Did you know that you can actually THRIVE? Have you heard of the THRIVE EXPERICE?? http://bit.ly/2lDrmj7
It’s about feeling the best you ever have! Enjoy!!