Self care is more than just a bubble bath
When it comes to self care, Emma Benyon is the expert and she’s here to talk about why being told we ‘should’ be taking care of ourselves, that we need to be the best version of ourselves for everyone around us and that can add a lot of pressure to our already busy lives.
As a Self Care and Motherhood Coach I find that many of these perceptions of self care make it incredibly difficult for us, when we are so busy, to engage with the practice of self-care.
Self care has become such a buzzword and it has so much negativity attached to it, that actually, in order for us to get to kind of any benefit from this practice, we've got to wade through a whole load of stuff before we even get to the point of being able to care for ourselves.
That being said, it’s no secret to why it’s important and how when we have filled our energy full tank we function as a better and more authentic version of ourselves. And I’m sure it’s no secret that most of us would like to feel calm and grounded, rather than exhausted and depleted all of the time.
There is often one barrier and that’s time.
So how, when we are so busy, do we find that time in our never ending to do list and the mental load?
My definition of self care is it is an act of health care, it’s about raising our energy, setting boundaries and bringing in nourishing habits to bring us joy, calmness and support. These skills and tools are things we can also use to support others around us too.
Self care doesn’t have to be anything that costs money, that requires a certain block of time, that adds to what we are already doing. Self care can be simple, easy and fun and fit in to our daily live as it already is.
Self care can be simple, easy and most of all fun too, it’s so much more than just a bubble bath. So why not try putting on your favourite playlist as you do the washing, or put your headphones on and listen to a podcast as you sit and wait for an appointment, why not take some breaths before you get out of the car on the school run, or get out for a short 10 minute walk on your lunch break.
Keeping self care simple in these ways, not only means it’s easier for us to add them in easily around what we are already doing AND makes self care so much more accessible.
And when we get a longer block of time we can {if we choose} do something different that will also fill our energy fuel tank. Because the ultimate aim with self care practices, whether it’s micro-moments or larger time blocks is to fill our energy fuel tank, as we do with our cars, our phones, our laptops. By filling our energy fuel tank we our nourishing our full body system so that we can go through each day with more ease and flow and cope with those difficult situations easier.
We can also bring others in to our self care practices, whether that be our children, partners, family or friends. Self care does not have to be something we do alone. For example, doing a gorgeous skincare routine or moving your body in the bathroom with some simple exercises whilst you run a bath for your kids.
Self care is unique to each and every one of us because our lives and our season of motherhood is so different. So when you are choosing which self care practices to bring in remember to do what works for you right now, and try and ease in to this season of your life and what is achievable right now.
So keep it simple, keep it easy and keep it fun! And most of all enjoy nourishing yourself in a way that works for you.
Emma
Emma Benyon is a self-care and motherhood coach and educator, supporting busy mums who are juggling the school run with a job and building a business with the tools to be less overwhelmed and have more balance, energy and clarity. She is mum to a six-year-old, a qualified NLP, mBIT and Practical Magic Coach and full time post 16 educator. She is the editor of Positive Wellbeing Zine for Mums and host of the Self Care and Motherhood Edit podcast. Her passion is to support busy mums to have more time and energy for all the things they enjoy and to have the tools to support and nurture themselves.
Find out more about Emma and her work at Emmabenyoncoaching.co.uk, and follow her on IG @emmabenyon.coach, on FB @emmabenyon.coach or check out her podcast Self Care and Motherhood Edit
