Witchcraft and self-care are very personal practices that differ from person to person. At its core, self-care is less about luxury and more about our actions and efforts to take care of ourselves. This can be as simple as taking 15 minutes a day to meditate or saying “no” and supporting boundaries we create to protect ourselves and our personal needs.
Self-care nourishes and supports your mind, your body, and your spirit.
A healthy body is necessary to fight against illness. Nutrition and exercise keep the body well. A healthy mind seeks out and considers new information. A healthy spirit allows for free-flowing inspiration and creativity. Whether you take long walks, meditate, or have a creative outlet, a healthy spirit helps shape our morals, ethics, and overall way of life.
Self-love is the conscious act of treating yourself with respect despite your flaws while forgiving your failures. It helps facilitate compassion and allows us to be the most authentic versions of ourselves, free of shame, guilt, and even loneliness. When you are your own best friend, you allow the real you to be seen and set a standard for how others treat and interact with you – positioning yourself to form meaningful relationships.
We live in a busy world, and I personally have struggled with taking time out for myself. I have learned the hard way (from being knocked on my ass) that I genuinely need alone time – time for myself – to recharge.
Like a car, we need fuel to keep it moving. Living “on empty” helps no one. Self-care allows us to take time out, reflect, and refocus our energy to move forward with a joy-filled life.
Often self-care attempts fail because of our unrealistic expectations about the process. Self-care is not an event that takes place one day, and then BAM – You’re done! It is a transformative practice that progresses over time.
Ease into Self-Care
- Do not feel guilty about putting ourselves and our needs first.
- Release any guilt of taking care of yourself and lose the idea that self-care is selfish.
- Make a list of 5 things that bring you joy. Pick one you want to focus on.
- Do not set unrealistic expectations. We must take self-care seriously to benefit from it.
Creating a plan for self-care and sticking to it is a huge first step. So – if you focus on your body, start by eliminating one food that you know is not good for you OR add an exercise. If you decide to focus on your spirit, get up earlier so you can meditate for a few minutes before you start your day. If you choose your mind, take a fun class or get a book on a topic you want to learn and read for 30 minutes a day until you finish it.
You don’t have to do everything at once, but small steps each day will build on each other so that you have a strong self-care plan. Take care of yourself. You are worth it!
You are loved!
A Witch’s Guide to Abundant Living