You Need Emotional Self-care

emotional self-care

Self-care is the buzzword these days, and a lot of emphasis is on eating well and pampering the self. To us, what's more imperative is Emotional Self-care, because we need to be emotionally available for so many aspects of life, in our private and professional worlds. 

Generally, the concept of self-care encourages you to be kind to yourself, and to know when to pause so that you prevent the possibility of a burnout. We often associate burnout with being completely wrecked, irrecoverable and beyond help. The good news is, we can learn to keep a balance before we arrive at the point of no return. 

If you're already feeling the below signs, it is time to begin a self-care regime. (please consult your doctor if you suspect your symptoms could mean other things like ailments)

-Anxiety
-Worried about everything
-Giddiness
-Breathlessness
-Feeling of bleakness, that there is no light at the end of the tunnel
-Addiction to something (yes, even social media)
-Restlessness, inability to be still 
-Insomnia 
-Skin conditions that won't go away (Eczema, Psoriasis, Dermatitis, etc)
-Fearful
-Regular feelings of sadness, emotionless at best 
-Feeling of self against the world (feels like a perpetual fight) 
-Can't be alone, always feeling lonely 
-Envious of others' achievements, feels loser-ish
-Needs to be validated by others
-Easily angry, even at the smallest of things
(the list goes on)

Being able to spot pre-burnout signs is a skill, and can really help us to maintain the golden balance we need. And the ability to do that is through a conscious, intentional management of our emotional health, an aspect of a self-care regime. 

Very importantly, you'd need to remember that emotions are not necessarily "good" or "bad" in themselves. You are not to be blamed for the emotions you feel, only how you behave in response to them. Hence, it is so important to not react to those emotions. 

I'll like to engage you in a simple self-care exercise, something I actively do on a daily basis: - 

The next time you feel emotions such as sadness or anger, you'd feel tempted to push these emotions away, or even indulge in them to fester an even larger volume of those emotions, leading to deeper hatred, or resulting in an angry verbal match (and we all know that nothing good will result from such reactions). 

Firstly, in your heart, say STOP. Then, I'll like you to simply breathe. That's all. Count to three; Allow a three-second breath. 

When you're ready, I'll like you to face the said sadness or anger head-on, to acknowledge its existence. Next, zoom out to a point where you are watching these emotions from afar, like from a third person's point of view. 

Give yourself a moment again, to watch that emotion from afar. You're suddenly an audience of that emotion, not the bearer of it. 

With practice, you'll slowly be able to manage your emotions, instead of allowing them to overwhelm you. 

I'd like to suggest these additional emotional self-care activities you can do: 

  • Keep a daily journal, and be completely honest about your feelings
  • Allow yourself a good cry, if you have to
  • Revisit old emotions that have been swept under the carpet, write them down in the same journal 
  • See a therapist or a life coach, someone you feel safe with, to discuss your emotional needs
  • Cut out social engagements that drain you, learn to say no if you truly don't wish to be there
  • Take an evening walk around the hood (be safe of course); allow the day's events to be reflected in an evening walk, especially when the weather is cooler and streets are less crowded
  • Sit by the beach and stare out at sea; allow the sea's negative ions recharge you while the sea breeze refreshes you
  • Be alone. There's nothing like having no one else provide their opinions to your issues. Have your own take on it, practise being the master of your own solutions and suggestions.  



emotional self-care
Super Farmers provides a safe and cozy environment for the participation of self-care programs. We believe in healing the natural way, with a balanced dose of lifestyle changes and paradigm shifts. 

For frequent updates, follow us on Instagram and Facebook or sign up for our mailing list here. 

Back to The SF Life