Life keeps speeding by as the minutes turn into hours and the hours into days. And it can get overwhelming. What if you gave yourself permission to slow down? Perhaps even treat yourself tenderly the way you would a baby just starting out in life.
Newborns have a syndrome called Failure to Thrive where they will not survive unless they are nurtured beyond being kept fed and sheltered. They need to be touched, acknowledged for their humanity and encouraged to grow into the remarkable human God has designed us to be.
According to parentingforbrain.com, “a 20-second hug can help your kid grow smarter, healthier, happier, more resilient and closer to you.” If physical contact such as nurturing hugging is one of the most important methods of stimulation for an infant, couldn’t the same be true for adults? We all need positive stimulation to grow into the person we are designed to be physically and mentally.
Studies show that hugging instantly boosts the level of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, in our bodies. It calms down the arousal branch of the brain to reduce stress and relieve anxiety. Oxytocin activates the ability to calm and self-soothe.
What if we treated ourselves like a newborn in danger of succumbing to Failure to Thriving? What if we took on the role of the ultimate care-giver to be our own self-care champion?
Unleash and Thrive at the Speed of Light
RHG MagazineTM - May 2022 © All rights reserved.
What if we made sure that we are nurtured in body, mind and spirit every day, every hour and every minute?
I invite you to consider how you are nurturing yourself these days to encourage yourself to thrive in whatever your present environment.
I realize that the past few years have shown us ways to grow and cope as we may never have been before. The virus touched all our lives whether we physically succumbed, or not. The implications of the virus, and the repercussions on society have caused us to pause and take stock of our priorities.
One of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes states: “A woman is like a teabag, you don’t know her strength until she gets in hot water.”
I love that quote for two reasons:
1. I love tea.
2. The only hot water I’m willingly getting myself into is a hot bubble bath.
Now, I’d like to talk about ways to thrive by taking a deep dive into your self-care. You may be thinking about getting back into a routine for work and stepping up your office routine. May I suggest that you factor in time for self-care as an essential time block on your calendar?
We all know that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Be sure that you are nourishing yourself with everything that you need to thrive.
Below are a few suggestions to help you get started. When I shared the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, I also gave you a glimpse into two of my self-care rituals.
1. Sink into a hot bubble bath.
2. Savor a delicious cup of tea (or whatever your choice of a favorite hot beverage) and watch the sunrise
3. Pour yourself something bubbly and watch the sunset
4. Spend five-minutes writing in your journal to start your day
5. Spend five-minutes writing in your journal to wrap up your day
6. Spend five-minutes before you crawl into bed to write down five things you are grateful for
7. Schedule a massage on a regular basis (I like to do it monthly, you may choose to do it more or less frequently)
8. Treat yourself to mani-pedi and choose pretty colors for your fingers and toes.
9. Prepare delicious, healthy,and nutritious meals for yourself (if you don’t like to cook, check out one of those meal prep services - there are lots to choose from, or ask for recommendations from friends).
10. Read a good book in your favorite genre.
11. Read an award winning book that you have been meaning to read.
12. Read something out of your normal genre that you are curious about.
13. Join a book club and commit to read what the group picks for the book club selection.
14. Get out and walk in nature.
15. Get out and move with a buddy.
16. Make a date with a friend you haven’t seen in some time to catch up.
17. Make a date with a friend to go explore a new venue (art exhibit, pottery painting, flower arranging, or ?)
18. Spend some quiet time exploring the emotions you are feeling right now and what you can do to achieve the emotions you want to have.
19. Have you always wanted to try a sport, learn a skill, experiment with a hobby? Sign up for a class, or attend a demonstration and take the first step into your future accomplishment.
20. What did you love doing as a kid that you still love and never seem to have time for? Set aside time on your calendar to rekindle that passion.
21. Give yourself the gift of a silent retreat. You’ll be amazed at where your thoughts take you when you quiet the chatter in your head.
These are just some ideas to get you started. Once you start creating your own list, there will be things on there that I’m sure I haven’t touched on.
The idea is to let you imagination run wild so that you have options to nurture your body, mind & soul to thrive. To unleash your ability to thrive at the speed of life…your life…your long, amazing, incredible, fantastic life!