The Importance of Self-Care

Self-Care and Self-Love are the two most talked about topics these days. They are both extremely important for healthy, holistic and wholesome living. What exactly do they mean? I have asked my angels this question many times and repeatedly they have given me the same guidance. Initially, I wondered how some of these could be angelic guidance since quite a few were about standing up for oneself – but when they asked me to practice and trust, I understood how it really was!

The world we live in can get very harsh and dense for us. A constant feeling of being tired, unworthy, things just not falling into place, feeling like you may have lost control over your life or perhaps that life has taken over you are just some of the signs that you need to indulge in self-care! This feeling of unworthiness and of not being in charge of your life means that you are giving your power away because you may be feeling compelled to do certain things a certain way as a form of habit. Maybe you are overextending yourself towards someone because you cannot seem to say no to them for something they need. Maybe it is work, maybe it is home, maybe the kids, your spouse, friends or just life in general.

It is essential to put a STOP to this! NOW! How can you pour from an empty canister? How can you give if you have nothing left within? If you do not fill your own cup first, you will always feel like you are struggling, and flowing against the current of life and you are constantly giving. Once you learn to take your power back – you begin to flow with Life! You flow in the direction of the universe and the magic begins to unfold!

There are several things we can practice to indulge in self-care. All of these points below are guidance received from angels in my life at different points, every step of the way.

1. Learn to be assertive, not aggressive. If you feel you cannot cater to someone’s request for filling in for them, learn to say no! But find a gentle way of saying it. Your goal is not to hurt another here, instead, it is to safeguard yourself and not commit to something you are not up for. You may have to do this a few times to send a message across, but don’t shy away. It is essential that you learn to do what you truly feel guided to and drawn towards if you keep pushing yourself and your needs to a later day, the universe will understand that you are okay with the way things are and will continue to present you with more similar opportunities.
2. Learn to set boundaries. If you feel everyone else is in control of your life, maybe, you have sent them that message and guess what – they have graciously complied! Boundaries are essential and healthy. Everyone needs their own space and time to recoup and discover themselves as we are all evolving every single day. Being in a relationship and having responsibilities doesn’t mean that there is no need for personal space. It is okay to ask for space when you need it. Once you start mentally setting these boundaries and making space for “Me” time – you will feel a lot better and will attract a lot better in your life as well. It may be a little difficult for you and your loved ones initially if they are not used to it, but eventually, they too will understand as they will begin to see a welcomed change in you.
3. Be gentle with yourself. This is the one thing that my angels have repeatedly taught me. Often, we are okay with giving other people chances when they falter but when it comes to ourselves, we tend to overindulge in expecting perfection. We need to realize that we too, like others are human and it is natural for us to make mistakes. We can learn from them and move on, instead of holding on to it and giving ourselves a hard time.
4. Do things that make you feel alive. Yes, we all have to earn our living and we all have bills to pay and deadlines to meet. Choosing to do something that makes you feel alive doesn’t necessarily mean giving up on your job and walking away to do what you feel like. It is great if you can do it, but if you need that job to sustain yourself, you can just start by devoting some time to what makes your heart sing every weekend. You may choose to paint, get into carpentry, make sculptures, take up DIY projects for your home, learn to play your favourite instrument – get creative and do something that makes you feel alive.
5. Treat yourself. Be your own best friend. Take yourself out to coffee, pamper yourself with a spa session, get yourself that thing you have been putting off for a while because you needed to cater to everyone else’s needs. You need to be taken care of and celebrated just as you celebrate others.
6. Meditate. Spend some quiet time alone each morning and each night before you go to bed. It can be just 10 minutes. You can try meditating by focusing on your breath or you can visualize and feel the universal energy, a pure white light, flowing through the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, filling every cell of your being. Meditation can also mean going for a jog or a walk for a minimum of 45 minutes – without any disturbances. Once you start your walk you will gradually slip into a rhythm and your body will relax and your mind will connect to the universal life force, your higher self, your angels, and guides. You can also request your angels and guides to accompany you for your walks, and they will. You will learn to tune into them once you learn to silence out the external noise. In no time, it will become effortless. You can find your own way of meditating, get creative. However, do keep in mind, meditation is a means to connect to the higher energy, light beings, and life force, so find something that works for you.
7. Consciously choose to spread love by choosing gratitude instead of complaints. Each time we complain we move further away from love and that happy feeling we long for by focusing on what is not as we would like it to be. So wake up each morning and thank the universe, your angels, and guides and Reiki (which is the life force that flows through us all). Express gratitude for all your blessings each morning and decide that for this one day you will not complain. You will soon notice that even though this might take some effort initially, in time you will automatically have learnt to shift your perspective to a positive one which will make you feel better, lighter and happier from within.

Any change requires practice and patience. Be patient with yourself during this process and allow yourself to receive. Start each day by asking your angels to be with you and help you through the day and in no time, you will have learnt the fine art of self-care which will enable you to live a richer and fuller life with your loved ones.

Article by Sneha Khanna

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Sneha Khanna is a Growth Catalyst and Angel Medium who fuses her passion for energy work and mindfulness with practical ways of living. She truly believes that we are all superheroes – it is just a matter of discovering your superpowers and talents and effectively using them.
You can drop her an email at [email protected] for Intuitive Soul Therapy (Online), several Individual and Group Workshops (Online). You can also follow her page on Tarot Reader Sneha Khanna for uplifting and positive content.