How to Increase Your Joy with These 7 Self Care Tips.

This is my first Self Care Saturday post. Yay!

I know that happiness is fleeting, but joy is internal. For the past three months, I’ve been doing what I can to practice self-care since my panic attack back in July 2016. My moments of unhappiness and depression outweighed my joyful moments. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy, but I truly lacked joy. I needed to take the necessary steps to increase my joy.

Since then, I’ve learned that all the missed opportunities to take care of myself, all the moments that I spoke ill of myself and to myself, all the moments I didn’t allow myself to mourn properly all added up to a complete meltdown. It was decades of built-up pressure.

So, no more of that crap! NO. MORE.

Related Post: 12 Tips for Holiday Self-Care in Memoriam: The Holidays, Mourning, & Self-Care.

Since this is the first post I thought I would post things that should never be skipped. The tips mentioned are basic and non-negotiable human needs. To meet them is to recognize yourself which is the first step to increasing your joy. If they are not, no need to kick your own butt about it. Just try your best the next day or the next weekend. The ultimate goal is to increase your peace and joy.

*~*Note: Some of these habits that I will write about now and in the future may seem way too simple to most. So simple that it is possible that these should have been a part of my home training growing up. Some were a part of my home training but my self-care deteriorated along with my esteem. Some habits were learned in my late teens and/or I am discovering now.

So, since this is a harsh judgment a.k.a snark-free zone and we weren’t all raised the same or share the same life experiences, I would hope that you all keep the comments kind, constructive, and nourishing. If that is way too difficult, keep the comments nonexistent. Mkay? Mkay.*~*

Before we begin, click here to get your free 14-page journal; 3 Steps to Heal Yourself Journal.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR JOY WITH THESE 7 SELF CARE METHODS.

I know this is called Self-Care Saturday, but I wanted to go over what can be done daily to preserve yourself. If done daily your self-care Saturday won’t seem so overwhelming or daunting to tackle.

1. Bathe at Least Once a Day. A task so simple for most may be difficult for someone who has lost themselves. A part of getting back to yourself is keeping your body clean. This is important to avoid not only smelling but avoid yeast/ fungal infections on the creases and folds of the body. It’s also important to keep the skin clean and wash away body oil build-up that causes acne.

You can create a happy and joyful moment just by bathing. It’s refreshing to the skin and to the body to feel the warm water and the massaging your entire body with a bar of soap, a loofah, washcloth, or just your hands and your favorite soap or body wash.
So, whether it’s in the shower, the bathtub, or a birdbath at the sink. Wash your body.
I recommend trying some of my favorite eco-friendly soaps, body washes, and body scrubs.
My current favorite body wash:

2. Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day. Brushing your teeth keeps your teeth clean, white or off-white, reduces gum disease, cavities, and other oral health problems. Also, if your teeth aren’t healthy, you may have difficulty eating and drinking. Which in turn depletes your energy and stamina.

3. Eat at Least Three Meals. Skipping meals, unless you’re fasting, is bad on the body. It throws off your endocrine system. Your endocrine system is “…the collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things.” – Live Science

There’s also joy in eating. People like to say that we eat to live and not live to eat, but I think we have a tongue that tastes for a reason. It’s possible to enjoy eating healthy and tasty meals at the same time.

Consider subscribing to these meal plans or services to help you eat well when you don’t know what else to do.
Grocery Delivery:
Instacart
Walmart Grocery
Amazon Prime Now
Thrive Market
Hello Fresh
Takeout/ Delivery:
DoorDash

Neglecting your hunger will exacerbate mental and physical illnesses because it will inhibit any healing that is to take place during any moments of self-care. So, when you are trying to work out or go for a walk, you may burn out quicker than you would if you had a healthy meal or snack beforehand. It will also disturb sleep. If you are a menstruating woman, it will make your periods and ovulation irregular.

So, attempt to eat more wholesome foods. Food that has ingredients you can read or are very simple to make at home. Even when you don’t feel like eating, at least drink a smoothie or eat a protein and fiber-rich snack.

*Note: Beware of what you eat. Avoid your allergens. If you are unsure of what you may be allergic to, pay attention to how you feel mentally and physically for a from about 15 minutes to as much as a few days after eating fast food, nuts, dairy, eggs, candy, cakes, and pies. Certain foods may become toxic to your brain and may not show symptoms in the body. Or you may be accustomed to these symptoms and not realize that they are not good for you.

Related post: 3 Steps to Begin Healing Your Whole Self Instantly!

4. Drink Water/ Healthy Liquids at Least 3 Times a Day. Water or water-rich fruits and vegetables will prevent symptoms of dehydration. These symptoms can exacerbate mental illness, sadness, confusion, and feelings of hopelessness. Hopelessness and joy do not mix. For me, I get a lot of headaches when I don’t get enough water in my body. Most of which seem to be tension headaches.

Attempt to drink 8 oz of water or tea every other hour to start and you would have drunk 56 oz in 12 hours. Or if you drink 8 oz every hour you would have drunk 96 oz in 12 hours.

5. Sleep/ Naps. I don’t know about you, but when I lose sleep I.Am.Not.Okay. If I am woken up suddenly, my heart races, my stomach gets upset, and I’ll have a full-blown attitude that may last until I go back to bed. Lack of sleep can make us more emotional, confused, and short-tempered. It can also raise blood pressure and increase your chances of heart disease.

Related Post: The WAHM’s Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. 8 Tips to Get the Rest You Deserve.

I use this site here to help me determine how many sleep cycles I can get in whatever time I have to sleep.

6. Laugh and Smile. I’m just going to put this plainly. Go to YouTube and find some funny fails, funny cats, or watch videos by Kev On Stage or AphricanAce. I promise you will feel just a little bit better.

You can also call one of your funniest friends, play with your children, and just get downright silly with them. Go see a comedy film or play at the theater.

There are no lies when it is said that laughter is the best medicine. It releases endorphins, reduces stress, eases anxiety, and tension.

7. Pray & Meditate. To recognize that you are a spiritual being with spiritual needs is a step toward healing and taking care of yourself. I say this because our spirit, mind, and body are all connected. When one is off, the others can be affected and will begin a cycle of pain and doubt.

The prayer and meditation I speak of are to go to a quiet space and talk to God and meditate on what His word has to say about joy and about your circumstances. Without even opening your mouth, you can communicate with Him. Sometimes, the words don’t come to us or we become silent in our speech. But He can hear us anyway when we talk to Him in our mind. And we can hear Him and read His instructions and love letters to us.

Repeat to yourself the truths He mentions about how much He cares for us when we feel anxious (1 Peter 5:57). It will help soothe our wounds and repel harmful chatter in our minds. It will also condition us to hear Him more loudly and frequently.
Also, search out verses that speak about joy.

Did I forget any self-care basics? Which ones stood out to you? How to you increase and maintain joy in your life?

I hope to post self-care tips, ideas, moments, etc at least twice a month. So, follow my blog to stay tuned.

Thanks for reading!

Ebony/ CoilySue86

Sources:

Endocrine System:

http://www.livescience.com/26496-endocrine-system.html

Dehydration:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults#1-3

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/6-conditions-that-feel-like-depression-but-arent/

http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education3/21-water-and-depression-stress-anxiety.htm

Laughter:

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm

Sleep:

https://sleep.org/articles/how-long-to-nap/