Deep self-care is facilitated by adaptability and will greatly improve your mood and daily life. In a sense, effective self-care is synonymous with adaptability. When you are able to adapt, your needs do not go unfulfilled for long. You are able to respond to what your body, mind, and emotions are asking for without stumbling on the details.
In other words, deep self-care facilitates adaptability. It gives you the extra vitality you need to act when needed. It provides you with energy reserves, so that you can respond to life without being exhausted and stressed.
On the other hand, when you are already exhausted and running without energy, it is much more difficult to cope with change.
Stress creates a sense of lacking
This is largely due to the fact that this energy reserve is already low, and an unexpected change burdens it even more.
The energy cost of adaptation
This type of energy reserve is sometimes known as adaptation energy. Adaptation energy is the energy you need to adapt to a new situation. Some people think that every person has a supply of this energy that can be depleted or refilled.
Inevitable life circumstances drain adaptation energy, such as:
- a big change
- unexpected injury
- loss of a job
- medical diagnosis
- the death of a loved one
- relationship intensity
For example, living life to the extreme, not knowing where you wake up or where you’ll get your next meal, also consumes a constant amount of adaptation energy. Eventually, when all this energy is gone, it leads to stress and exhaustion.
Self-care to the rescue
Being in a state of anxiety usually makes things very difficult. You do not want to be in a state of constant stress. That’s why you need to learn to emphasize self-care. It is the strong, solid foundation that allows you to be your best self.
Having a consistent self-care routine works like an anchor that can keep you safe from some of the toughest storms. It has the opposite effect of unexpected events that require adjustment. It cultivates the reserves that inevitable life changes can deplete.
You learn to build on the solid foundations provided by the self-care routine as the first step in cultivating, maintaining and protecting your energy status, your mental health and your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It’s so important to you. It’s your insurance policy that guarantees that no matter what happens, you will have the tools you need to deal with the changes.
Charging your energy bank
This “insurance policy” of self-care is essentially an energy bank from which you can be powered to face life head on, sideways, or even upside down if needed.
Here are the steps you can take to begin the process of preparation for mediation.
1. Treat sleep as if it were sacred
If you often skip adequate sleep in your daily routine, you will notice that you are more:
- temperamental
- impatient
- worried
- reactive
- unattached
According to a 2021 study in the United States, participants who slept 6 hours or less at night were about 2.5 times more likely to have frequent mental distress than those who slept more than 6 hours.
In many traditions, sleep is considered literally sacred. It is believed to be a state of consciousness that naturally connects us to the divine. We lose the sense of our individual separation and surrender to the security, serenity, and indivisibility of the sleep state. Meditation and sleep share many similarities, and we experience deep rejuvenation and healing when we sleep. Simply put, sleep has many health benefits.
2. Stick to the routine (without becoming stressful)
Having gentle boundaries around your routine helps you feel down-to-earth, purposeful, and responsible for my care.
3. Treat food as fuel and a source of pleasure, joy and companionship
Food is fuel. Food is medicine. Food is life. Food is also a pleasure. It is also the glue that unites cultures, a common focal point for family cohesion, and may even be responsible for culture as we know it. If you do not enjoy your food, it does not benefit you as much as it could. Make every effort to eat the healthiest food at your disposal and treat your body as if it were sacred.
And when you can, share the love by eating with good company. Like life, food is meant to be enjoyed together.
4. Honor your relationships as reflections of love
When you are in a relationship with people you treat as objects, you will start to suffer. You will suffer from disconnection, a lack of participation, and a lack of the emotional texture of being human.
Sometimes, due to stress or depression, this is inevitable, at least for some time. Your heart contracts, and you feel locked inside, like a lonely little planet spinning wildly in space. When the clouds part and the sun rises, your heart can open. These are the moments when you feel more human, and you also love yourself.
No matter who comes into contact with the little sphere of your being, you recognize that their presence is nothing short of a divine miracle.
It’s just a way of recognizing the simple but profound gift that relationships can be for social animals like humans. Every connection is a reflection of the love that makes us shine, and the more we can open our hearts, the more we experience this reflection without distortion.
5. Protect your space
Having an open heart does not mean giving yourself away, falsifying your ego, or having very poor boundaries. Remember to have strong boundaries and protect your physical, emotional, and energetic space, as this is absolutely necessary so that you can be in the best possible position and give yourself in ways that matter, not in ways that exhaust you.
6. Don’t forget to play
Growing up, we forget to play. But life isn’t just obligations and deadlines. Stay in touch with your inner child and keep reminding them that you have a sense of humor about the world and seek play through dance, art, gardening, and almost anything your inner child decides he wants.
Filling the tank
It is important to see your life as a constant opportunity to fill your tank so that you, in turn, can serve life better. This results from raising children, work, and interpersonal relationships.
Being full means that you can withstand the upheavals of life. You are ready for what is to come. You can adapt.