Self-care is much more than just treating yourself to a good meal and a bubble bath. Take your self-care to the next level by taking care of your mental well being. Emotional self-care is free and the reward can be life-changing. All it takes is the willingness to look inwards without judgment and intentionally reach for better feelings. Here are the 10 best ways you can practice emotional self-care.
Top 10 Ways to Practice Emotional Self-Care
1. Meditate
One of the best ways to practice emotional self-care is to meditate. Meditation can sound like an intimidating practice for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, meditation works best when you just stick to whatever practice that makes you feel the most comfortable. Simply taking a few minutes to breathe in and out deeply is a meditation practice in itself.
2. Be Present
“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
― Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu’s quote sums up why it’s so important to be present and stay in the present moment. If your mind is constantly jumping between the past, present, and future, it is draining your energy. This is why you get so tired when you’re stressed. An easy way to return to the present is to express appreciation for the things you are grateful for. Appreciation is the quickest way to return to high-vibe feelings of love and joy.
3. Forgive Yourself
Often times, we can be too harsh or critical on our own actions. We carry this invisible burden and this is slowly crushing our mental well-being over time. The best way to release past burdens and trauma is to forgive yourself and choose love instead. If you are not ready to let go yet, simply honor your willingness to acknowledge it.
4. Let Go Of Judgment
I like to define judgment as a separation from love. Judgment can come in many forms including jealousy, envy, and general negative thoughts. When we judge others, we not only create separation from other people and we also create separation from our true love nature. Although judgment may feel good at the moment, remember that inner peace always feels better in the long run.
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5. Take The High Road
“The world is your classroom and people are your assignments.”
― Gabrielle Bernstein
Use the conflicts and arguments in your life as a test to take the high road. Every time you choose peace over conflict, you strengthen your ability to protect your emotional well-being. My favorite mantra to remind me to go high is “I choose to see peace instead of this.”
6. Affirmations
Affirmations are empowering sentences that you can recite in your mind or out loud to gently replace negative thoughts to more positive thoughts. The number one thing to remember when using affirmations is you must believe. Affirmations work 10 times better when you actually believe in what you are saying. Don’t just recite affirmations just for the sake of doing it. Choose a few that resonate with you and actually imagine how you feel if you lived out the affirmation. If doing this exercise brings you a sense of calmness, then you know you are on the right track to harnessing the power of affirmations.
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7. Gratitude and Appreciation
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
― Oprah Winfrey
Prioritize the feeling of gratitude by intentionally showing appreciation for people and things around you. Gratitude is a reminder to yourself of all the good that is in your life. It is the best way to get out of an emotional rut quickly. In order to reap the maximum benefits out of gratitude, you need to feel and show your appreciation. Return the favor by being of service to others so you can lean into the feelings of love and connectedness.
8. Always Choose Happiness
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
― Charles R. Swindoll
Despite your circumstances, you are always in control of your happiness. Whenever you get into circumstances that try to threaten your happiness, ask yourself this simple question: “Would I rather be right or happy?”
9. Explore Spirituality
Spirituality is something that is very personal but it can offer a place of calm and peace like no other practice. The key to finding the spiritual path that resonates with you is to have an open heart and an open mind. It’s natural for the mind, also known as the ego, to be resistant to foreign beliefs or teachings as a defense mechanism. Acknowledge this resistance and be willing to explore other spiritual practices to elevate your emotional self-care. Our Law of Attraction Planner is the perfect companion to exploring spirituality and strengthening your faith in a higher power.
10. Follow Your Intuition
You know that gut feeling that you have when you meet someone for the first time? That’s your intuition. During the process of growing up, it’s common to lose faith in your intuition. Instead of listening to your inner voice, you’re taught to rely on external factors to make decisions. But your intuition is one of the most important voices to listen to because it’s your true inner nature. It’s innate and within all of us, all you have to do is have faith in it. Learning to trust in your intuition is incredibly empowering and life-changing. Our Free 5-Day Confidence Course is another great way to get started on boosting your confidence.
