INTRO INTO A SOUL CARE TOOLBOX

Self care should be a priority in everyones individual wellbeing journey.

But the reality is it is often NOT.

Society can have a very narrow view of self care - which can leave individuals in a few different negative mind spaces when it comes to creating a self care practice that sparks their soul. Thoughts including feeling guilty for attending to their needs or the other side guilt for not following through on their own wellbeing needs often out of fear of being judged as others hold their own perceptions of what self care is or is not there is also the perception for some it has to be earned and then whether you have really deserved it.

I believe self care is a personal journey, an on going journey and with different situations meeting you through life your wellbeing needs will be different too. Techniques and practices that work for you might not work for others and vice versa.

This is where creating a collection of tools, practices and rituals is helpful to ensure what is best for your wellbeing even when life feels hard or challenging is accessible.

I call this collection a soul care toolbox because the things in my toolbox support me, nurture my soul and rebalance me creating harmony while connecting me within my whole wellbeing journey. In its simplest form the types of activities I choose would fall within one of four categories of PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL. Different theories have varying categories so the possibilities can be unlimited I will include a few others below and in a future post I plan to dive deeper into types or categories and possible suggestions for each based on my free downloadable ebook.

A soul care tool box is a collection of tools, strategies, rituals and practices that you can call on, they should be diverse, inspire, bring joy and peace of mind enhancing your wellbeing, if your choose something because someone said you should but it doesn't feel right then please don't continue do it. If a practice becomes boring or challenging be okay with going with the flow or changing it up, having a collection of tools, strategies, rituals and practices also allows freedom and flexibility to meet your needs at any given time without control or restrictions.

CREATE YOUR OWN SOUL CARE TOOLBOX

To create your own toolbox start by brainstorming what helps your wellbeing - the following question below may help you if you're feeling stuck?

• What makes you smile?

• What feels like fun?

• What motivates you?

• What strategies have you used in the past to meet yourself and your edges?

• What makes you feel inspired?

• What activities inspire you?

• What energises you?

• What hobbies do you enjoy? {now, in the past, as a kid}

• What hobbies/activities would you like to try?

Once you are done brainstorming write out a list or create some way of storing these ideas that you can call on, for some this might be a printed list stuck in a few places so that it can be seen or easily accessed, for others this could be a jar and on bright or decorative pieces of paper the activities, strategies, practices and rituals are written out, another option is to to have a combination of things maybe a physical box that contains the activities or cheat sheets for the practices, maybe it is stored on a phone or other digital device and once a week, month or quarter it is accessed and things are scheduled into your calendar.

MY FOUR TOP TIPS

1. Choose activities that resonate for YOU, that are fun, playful and feel freeing

2. Have a diverse collection of tried and true as well as things you would like to try

3. What types of activities support, nurture and inspire you for the different areas of your wellbeing - personal, professional, social, spiritual, sensory, physical, emotional, intellectual (this is still not a complete list of possibilities but may help you get curious)

4. Think about the timing - how long do you have? how long do the activities take? (including any prep and planning)

SOME QUICK IDEAS BASED ON TIME

5 Minutes

• Sing or dance

• Chant

• Take a few conscious and deep breathes

• Blow bubbles

• Sit outside in the sun

• Slowly eat a piece of chocolate

15 Minutes

• Take a shower

• Have a power nap

• Water your plants

• Colour in

• Call or checkin with a friend or family member

• Organise or declutter a small space in your home

30+ Mintues

• Take a bath

• Go for a walk

• Self pleasure

• Do a long meditation

• Get a massage

• Draw a mandala

What can you add to you soul care toolbox?