Self Care That Actually Works

Mariana 0:00
Hello friends welcome back to The Mindfully Recharged Podcast with your hosts Mariana Thomas. Let's talk about self care that actually works. Let's not waste any time and without further ado, let's get to it.


Intro 0:20
Welcome to Mindfully Recharged with Mariana Thomas. In this podcast, Mariana brings you mindful conversations in people that will develop and recharge you from the inside out, so that you can increase productivity in your personal and professional life. This is Mindfully Recharged.

Mariana 0:41
Hello, friends, welcome back. In today's episode, let's talk about self care that actually works. I know. You know, the self care is my jam, I absolutely love talking about this topic. Because it is what I do. If you are feeling uninspired, unmotivated, and just feeling exhausted. Who haven't felt this way, right? I have felt this way and it’s totally natural to feel like there is nothing to do, but just sit down and kind of wait for the fog to pass. But what if I tell you that
there are some things you could be doing right now? I'm hoping that by the end of this episode, your mood would improve so you will improve your productivity and feel better. If it sounds too good to be true, let me tell you, it is not. Okay? I didn't think it is in sound good to be true, but that's why I created this list and I created this topic to talk about
self care and some strategies that actually work. Okay? Self care strategies that actually work. I wanted to repeat that.


Okay. So this self cares, will not only make you feel better, but they will also put you in a more positive mindset. And let me tell you, we all want to be in a positive mindset because mindset is basically everything. Okay, your confidence, your creativity, and your productivity are going to reach a different peak. Okay, so you are going to increase in these three things: confidence, creativity, and productivity. We all know how important it is to take care of ourselves when we are feeling well, when we are feeling down, and coming down in our luck. We're like, “Oh my God! What is going on?” and everything just starts happening at the same time. But what many people don't realize is the importance of self care as a way of maintaining our happiness level on an everyday basis.


Okay, and I'm not talking just about working out and that type of stuff, okay? If you use these self care techniques regularly, you know, then chances are your productivity and your mood change is going to improve. Okay, so I absolutely love talking about this because I was in a situation where I felt overwhelmed. I felt overworked. I felt burnout and I thought I was taking care of myself because I was getting up earlier with the crack of dawn to get a workout in but actually I would just kind of running myself down to the ground. Because, let me tell you something, trying to get everything in when you are not at your full potential, is not a good thing. Okay? Creating those habits of sticking to yourself and really using self care as a mindset as something that is so important to you is a game changer. And one thing that I want to remind you is that habits, whether good or bad, are where we are used to doing on a daily basis, right? So those can be either good or bad. And so getting up earlier for me, when I was a exhausted, because I was going to bed so late, you know, imagine going to bed at, I don't know, midnight or close to it and getting up before 4 AM, right into working out and just putting your body into high levels of intensity. And then right to earn in value to people. That is not good. You know, and so that's when I, when I say the habits can be a good thing or a bad thing. In my case, that was not a good habit. Okay, because I created a habit of going to bed late at night, getting up earlier, and cracking my body down to the ground, you know, to keep my performance high. But guess what? I was not performing at my optimal because I was tired, I was a exhausted and I didn’t know I was just pushing forward, you know, pushing forward as much as I could, because I wanted to win.


Okay, so habits can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on how intentional and how you are doing them. Okay. So they can trigger different things. They can even trigger your moods of the feelings of being happy or sad or nervous. You know, I created those horrible habits of not eating the right food. But yes, in my mind, I thought it was it was the right food. I was eating a bunch of protein bars and protein shakes and protein cookies. A lot of things on the go they quote-unquote felt like it was healthy, but they were not. So they were taking my hormone levels and my adrenals to the ground. So the trick with self care habits is to make them so intrinsic in our lives, that the thought doesn't even cross our minds. Because it has simply being ingrained into what we know and what we have become, but they need to be intentional and they need to be habits that are actually good for us. So how do we use self care to boost our creativity? Remember that I mentioned creativity is one of the things that increases and when I was really taking care of myself, in a good way, and when I do take care of myself like I do now, you become a little more creative because your mind is more clear. So how does practicing self care includes increased productivity as well? Right? Well, let me tell you. When you take out some curious, you know, like me time for yourself and to take care of yourself, it can make all the difference.


So that is how you increase your creativity and increase your productivity. It’s not rocket science, the differences in how you feel about life, because when we are happy inside, then our productivity level kind of soars, kind of changes, right? So you’re just taking that time to take care of yourself. Remember that in stress management. And that is what I was going through, my cell my body was so as stressed out, my mind was so stressed out, but I was over passing that. So stress management does not just happen during those times when we are feeling overwhelmed, or uninspired. But rather, it is also important to remember to set aside small chunks of time every day where you do something just for you. Okay? Remember that. When you do something just for you, the more often that you practice self caring. And those are techniques that you got to learn. The easier it becomes into self care is not longer. And starting on top of everything else that you got to do, right? So self care becomes integrated into your routine of getting things done. And that is what I was doing. When I was in this high level job of productivity, quote, unquote, I was jamming everything in, but not in the right way. So what I'm saying is you got it made that time to just for you, but you are not over doing any other side, if that makes sense.


Mariana 10:49
Okay, so your schedule needs to be very intentional. As you go through this, through the list of self care that you got to do and I'm going to go over in this second, and it's a different type of self care, like you are thinking, probably, see which one resonates with you and work on applying then to your lifestyle over time. And feel free to prioritize the self care that made the most sense for where you are right now. Okay, good. These are different things, I'm going to give you five different self care techniques. Okay, and you can just start with one. The important thing is not that self care techniques, the ones that you're going to use, okay? But rather, how often do they help to boost your productivity levels when used regularly and in a way that works best for you. So what I'm saying is, in other words,is that you got to stay
consistent in whatever you choose to do. Where are you going to focus first? What is the first part of your self care that you are going to prioritize? Okay, so here are self care techniques that can be implemented over time to see how they work.


Mariana 12:24
Okay, so let's start with self care. What is self care? Let's begin there. Self Care describes a conscious act. Remember that I keep saying to be intentional with it. So you got to be conscious and take in order to promote then physical, mental, and emotional health. Okay, so let me go back to this. Self care describes a conscious act that one takes, meaning you and I, in order to promote their own physical, mental and emotional health. There are many forms of self care. Okay, but it could be ensuring, you need to ensure to get enough sleep at night or stepping outside for a few minutes and all those things that we think is the only self care, right?


Mariana13:38
And so, here I go with the first part of self care. So let's talk about the physical self care, right? So physical self care. You need to take care of your body. We all do. We need to take care of our bodies if you want to run efficiently. Like your car. You have to take care your car, if you you want your car to work, when you turn it on, when you need to go to work, or wherever you're going. So keep in mind that there is a strong connection between your body and your mind. When you are caring for your body, you will think and feel better as well. Right? The physical self care includes how you are fueling your body, the things that you are putting on. How much sleep you are getting. We just thought about that. How much physical activity you are doing. How well you are caring for your physical needs. That's the question you need to ask yourself. So if you make appointments for, to, I don't know, to see a massage therapist or a doctor or you need to take in a specific supplementation of food, you got to make sure that you do it. And that you got to make sure that you manage your health as good as you can. 
When it comes to physical care, ask yourself the following questions so you can assess
whether there are some areas that you need to improve, because, guess what? We all need to improve somewhere. So the questions are, are you getting enough sleep? Okay, so am I getting enough sleep? That's the question you need to ask. Is you diet fueling your body? Well, that's a great one, right? Are you taking charge of your health? Are you getting enough
exercise, even if it’s just ten minutes every single day or 15 minutes. Are you moving enough? Those are the questions when it comes to physical self care.


Mariana 16:23
The second self care is social self care. Socialization is key to self care. But often, it’s hard to make time for friends and it's easily neglected. Okay, so relationships are easily neglected when life gets busy. It doesn't mean that you need to go to your friends every single day, but make time, at least, to talk to your friends over the phone. And you know, especially right now, during this time. so close connections are important to your well being, but choose right. You
got to make sure that you choose the right connections as well. Okay, the best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy into building them. But that doesn't mean you got to build any type of relationship, make sure you focus on the right ones. The key here is to figure out what your social needs are, and to build enough time in your schedule to create an optimal social life. And the questions to ask yourself in social self
care, is, are you getting enough face to face time with your friends? Or are right? Because there's two and that nothing has to be in person, you can actually see your friends through video. There are so many ways for us now to check on people, to see people. Technology has made it possible for us so use it. You know, for me, I am distancing. Right now I'm in distancing mode at the moment. So for me video phone calls is what’s working at this moment in my life. What are you doing to nurture relationships with friends and family? That is your second question. Okay, friends, made sure that you here you put a lot of attention on what relationships truly are. And not those that pretend to be your friends, but really get some good friends and cultivate the relationships.



Mariana 18:57
Number three, mental self care. The way you think and the things that you are feeling in your mind with regard to influence your psychological well being. Okay. So let me repeat that. The way you think and the things that you are feeling your mind will influence your psychological well being. Hmm. mental self care includes doing things that keep your mind sharp. So I'm talking about like, coordination exercises, you know, learning about a specific subject. Maybe a subject is not yours that you don't know anything about. And you might find yourself maybe reading books, or watching movies. They inspire you. The filled your mind, that takes you to a different level. mental self care also involves doing things that help you is stay mentally healthy, like practicing self compassion, self acceptance. For example, maintaining a healthier inner talk with yourself. Okay, inner conversation, the inner relationship with yourself. So here are a few questions to consider when you think about your mental self care. Two questions. Are you making enough time for activities that mentally stimulate you? You know, like watching a movie that has nothing to do with the things that you do, something new? Are you doing proactive things to help you stay mentally healthy? Ask yourself those questions. And you will find that you may need to improve in this area.


Mariana 21:16
Number four is spiritual self care. Search shows that a lifestyle including religion, or spirituality is generally a healthier lifestyle. For me, I'm more spiritual than religion. I love love, love practicing spirituality, nurturing my spirit. Okay, even if it doesn't involve a lot of religion, even though I believe in God. It can involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe. Oh, I love talking about the
universe. And whether you enjoy meditation like I do, and teach, maybe you’ll enjoy attending a religious service or praying and then a spiritual self care way. Either way is important. And your questions are as you consider a spiritual self care is what questions do you ask yourself about your life and experiences? Ask yourself that question. What questions am I asking myself right now? And the other question is, are you engaging? Or am I engaging in spiritual
practices? They find myself in a fulfilled position. Am I fulfilling myself in a spiritual way?


Mariana 23:10
And last one, friends, the emotional self care. It is important to have healthy coping skills to deal with uncomfortable emotions. I’m talking about anger, sadness, and anxiety. Emotional self care may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings on a regular basis. Whether it’s you're talking to your husband, or a close friend?
You know, when we talk about how we're feeling? Or you set aside time for luxury activities, you know those they help us with emotions. It is important to incorporate into your routine whatever emotional self care suits you best. And when assessing your emotional self care strategies, I want you to consider these questions. Do you have healthy ways or weights
to process your emotions? What are you doing to process your emotions? When you are trying to emotional self care? Did you incorporate activities into your life that help you feel recharged? How are you recharging yourself? Like this podcast, right? Are you mindfully recharging yourself? Are you being intentional when it comes to emotional self care? I think this is one of the most important ones, you know, besides the physical, obviously, they are all important. But if we don't manage our emotions, you know, they can really, really trigger our lives. So this is really important that you ask yourself if you are incorporating the activities to recharge your mind, your heart, your body, your entire being.


Mariana 25:38
And I hope that you are my friends. So with that, just a recap. Number one was, okay, physical self care. Number two, social self care. Number three, mental self care. Number four is spiritual self care. And number five, emotional self care. I truly hope that this episode brought some value to you, my friends, and I hope that you share this episode with your friends, or your families. Send me a message if you are enjoying this. And share, share, share. I create these episodes for you. And I'm hoping that they are adding some value into your life and that you are mindfully recharging from the inside out. I will see you on the next episode, my friends. Have a great rest of your day. Bye bye.


Mariana 26:45
Thank you for listening, everyone. Don't forget to go to the show notes and click to download your FREE Mindful and Energetic Living guide. Also, don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, your families, and everyone out there. I want to get this out there to everyone. So thank you for your support. And I'll see you next week.