Maya Advises: The importance of self-care
As our industry is coming out of a coma, waking up after two years of constant losses caused by covid-19, we decided to address all those who paid less attention to themselves in these past two years to look at wellness from a different side. For that reason, in our wellness part of the media, we are announcing our cooperation with Maya Stoycevski. In a column called Maya Advises.
Maya started her coaching career as a Life coach for special parents, helping them overcome negative emotions, sadness, despair, self-pity and all the negative emotions that come with the challenge of having a child with special needs.
But in the last couple of years, Maya’s focus has been shifting to being a life coach and transformational coach with a broad range of clients who want to take control of their life into their hands and become the best version of themselves.
She is helping people to come from “Why me?” to “What am I learning in this experience, and how can I get from here to the most fulfilling life I could ever imagine.”
Maya will be our writer and will contribute regularly.
Maya Advices: The importance of self-care
How would you define self-care? Most people consider it is going to spas, getting massages, shopping, or putting on a face mask. This association makes self-care sound luxurious.
The first defining moment in my story occurred when I slowed down and reexamined my thoughts and beliefs at that time. In addition, I started taking better care of myself.
Self-care is, to me, a matter of health, not just luxury.
It is common for couples, parents, and employees to believe they should be perfect. As a result, we get stuck in not caring for ourselves and putting ourselves last.
We need to detach ourselves from this need and reexamine our values.
Practising self-care will increase your well-being and help you manage stress.
Self-care can be split into six categories:
Self-care on a physical level. Physical activity includes, for example, walking or exercising for 30 minutes every day. Medical and dental checkups are also a form of physical self-care.
Mental self-care. It means doing activities that allow you to relax mentally, such as journaling or reading a book.
Emotional self-care. It involves listening to your inner voice. For example, if you make a mistake, make a wrong judgment, or fail to complete all the activities you planned for the day, what do you tell yourself? Hence, if you struggle with self-criticism or feel sorry for yourself, take action by adopting practices that increase compassion towards yourself. By doing so, you will be able to show kindness to others. This is an example of emotional self-care.
Spiritual self-care. It is all about regularly connecting with your source of faith and hope. Depending on your religion, you can join a faith community. It may include meditation, or it may consist of prayer. Spending time in nature is another way to connect with your spirituality.
Relations self-care. Having regular conversations with your partner is essential, and scheduling time for talking and nurturing relationships with family members and friends.
Professional self-care. Professional self-care means settling for a job that provides everything you need to get the job done and creates a healthy environment. Ensure that your working environment is respectful and enforce strict boundaries.
Many things changed for me after I deliberately practised self-care every day. I was more aware of my abilities and my focus. However, I also noticed a reduction in the amount of stress I was feeling all the time. I was in a good mood for most of the day due to my dominantly optimistic attitude. As a result, I enjoyed more significant amounts of pleasure and was able to share precious moments with dear people.
My daughter Joana was also affected by this shift. She felt my energy shift as I relaxed. Children don’t want us to devote all of our strength and time to them. They want us to be happy. So when we surround them with beautiful energy, they will benefit more. But we can only do that if we feel beautiful on the inside.
I moved through all my challenges by taking regular steps toward self-care. But unfortunately, many people still consider self-care selfish. That is a severe problem and the wrong approach.
It’s quite the opposite: it’s not self-oriented but rather everyone-oriented. You are only good for others when you are suitable for yourself.
Having a high level of well-being allows you to be more generous with your partner, children, friends, family, and profession. Otherwise, what more can you get from a squeezed orange (you are the orange here)?
Give it a try today. Create your self-care plan. Make a list of what you can do daily, weekly, and monthly to support your program. Identify what is accessible, affordable, and appealing to you. I can tell you from experience that you will only succeed at this if you prioritize it.
Ask for help and talk to someone if you are uncomfortable including self-care in your daily life. To begin with, you can ask your friends and partner for support. Then, talking to professionals can help you deal with possible feelings of guilt and regain control of your life.
Sincerely Maya
Visit Maya’s website for more info and help!
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