Evolving Through Self-Care: A Guide to Intentional Growth 📈

The name of our company speaks exactly what I intended it to announce to the world: being INTENTIONAL. I’m serious about self-care & the importance of putting it near the top of your to-do list. Even more, I’m serious about erasing the stigma around mental health. ✏️ So this week, let’s get into how the effort you put into your self-care impacts intentional growth. 

Intentional Self-Care 🧘🏽‍♀️

Self-care is such a hashtag these days, but I don’t think some people really know the weight that phrase carries. It’s so much more than going to the salon, the spa, or on vacation. 💇🏾‍♀️💅🏾🏖️ Those things are great, but they don’t hit all of the nooks & crannies of your self-care. Nobody wants some surface level TLC! Gotta scrub all the parts squeaky clean so you can come back strong! 💪🏽 

     Once I really started researching self-care, I learned so much about what I was missing. I was in that number of thinking I could get these nails, toes, & hair done, & that checked off my self-care box. ✅ Boy was I wrong?! I was missing so many parts of my being that it was ridiculous! My missing list looked somewhat like this:

• Physical: I did a little exercising inconsistently, but the healthy eating is a no for me. This category of self-care was pretty much covered at the hair & nail salons & an occasional massage. 💆‍♀️ 
• Mental: Being in the behavioral health field, I know the importance of taking care of yourself mentally. I’ve learned so many coping skills over the last 2 decades & am far from opposed to therapy & medication. 💊 Do what you have to do so you can be ok! That category was taken care of.
• Emotional: This part was something I’ve learned to do more effectively. Being a reformed timid person, I would hold things inside & maybe vent to 1 or 2 people who had nothing to do with the way I was feeling. As I got older, I got less tolerant & more vocal, but the lethal Pisces tongue of mine would go for blood. ♓️ Now that I’ve learned more about emotional wellness, journaling has allowed me to unpack my feelings in a much more healthy way. 😭
• Spiritual: Who would’ve thought spiritual self-care was a thing? Again, with age, I’ve grown spiritually. The better understanding of God & the connections I feel when I hear a good sermon refill my spirit every week. 😇 Whether I go in person or watch online, making sure I’m spiritually protected & can wash off some of the gunk we pick up along the week is essential. 
• Social: I definitely was clueless to self-care having a social component. I’m an antisocial social person; meaning I can get out & about with folks, but I’m probably gonna be in a corner solo (especially if I don’t know anyone there) & I definitely would prefer to be home. 🤷🏽‍♀️ However, I have my groups of folks that I enjoy hanging out with that know I only pop out occasionally & that too much noise/action/going on overstimulates me. I love love love my people though!
• Financial: Another part of self-care I didn’t know existed. Finances can be stressful for anybody. Whether you have a lot or a little money, there’s always a bill to pay, an emergency to take care of, & ways to lose it. 💸 This is the important part of financial self-care: having & maintaining a healthy relationship with money through money management. I’m actively working on improving this aspect of my self-care.
• Professional: The final quarter of the self-care pie I didn’t know existed is all about elevating. Once you have an idea of what you want your profession to be, you have to stay up-to-date on the comings & goings in that field. I love to learn, so professional development is something I’ve come to enjoy but takes some planning in my busy life. I make time though; anything to take me to a higher level is right up my alley. 🆙 

Intentional Growth ↗️

Once you really get serious about prioritizing your self-care, that’s when intentional growth comes into play. What do I mean by “intentional growth?” I mean elevating, improving, going to the next level in life. 🛫The more you pour into each category of self-care, the more susceptible you are to grow in that aspect. It takes some serious focus, work, & commitment though.

     Regardless of what category of self-care you’re working on at the time, go hard to refill your cup in that department. ⛽️ It can be difficult to pour into several at one time, but if you give each aspect a little time each day (or at least every week), you’ll see a difference. The organizational freak that is Meia has a plan for navigating each category every week:

• Physical 🏃🏽‍♀️:
  • Do a short yoga session when you wake up &/or before bed. I do both just to warm up my muscles in the morning & relax them at night. Five minutes can work wonders.
  • Plan your meals. I do this most of the time but have fallen off as far as sticking to whatever was decided each day. I have in mind what I’m going to cook early in the day though.
  • Get moving during breaks. I try to take breaks every 1-2 hours when I’m working. Sitting for long periods of time stiffens your body. Put some oil back on those joints.
  • Plan workout routines. I’ve recommitted to working out at least 3 days a week. I’ve been doing them before work now, so if I’m tired in the afternoon, I won’t have the ability to cancel. #Accountabilify
• Mental 🤨:
  • Do a mental health check-in. I tap into my mental health every day before bed. I like to keep track of how my moods change.
  • Seek help. Therapy & medication are judgement-free topics. A therapist can help you navigate mental wellness, & medications help your mind & body stabilize to cope with your troubles. 
  • Take breaks to decompress. On mentally draining days, it’s essential to be able to disconnect from anything that’s mentally taxing. Whether it’s for a few minutes or a few days, take time to free your mind of worries.
• Emotional 😭:
  • Journal. No, I’m not saying journal because they’re Intentional products. I’m saying journal because it works. There’s something about being able to pour your thoughts & emotions onto a piece of paper that’s liberating. It’s worked wonders for me.
  • Talk to someone. Feelings are better out than in, so find someone you trust who will let you get things off your chest freely. My circle is super supportive & keeps my head on straight. Everybody needs somebody, so don’t suffer alone.
• Spiritual 😇: 
  • Attend religious events. Church refills my soul every week. Whether I go in person or catch a replay online, it has a way of bringing calmness & optimism over you. 
  • Read spiritual texts. Devotionals are emailed to me Monday-Friday & 3 different Christian apps give me a little bit of God every morning. I also read 2 chapters of the Bible every night before bed.
  • Meditate. The quiet makes everything feel better. I turn my Calm app on each morning & evening to quiet my mind. 
  • Get outside. Seeing the Earth is amazing! Looking at mountains & beaches is one of my favorite things to do. God’s creation…there’s no need to even explain how powerful & beautiful that is.
• Social 👯‍♀️:
  • Get food. Foodies, stand up! Pretty much every time I get with my girlfriends, we’re at some restaurant eating good food, drinking good drinks, & enjoying good convo. Good, bad, or ugly things going on; we’re in it together.
  • Plan a vacation. Probably my favorite thing to get my self-care back in formation. Quarterly, mandatory, & doesn’t matter where…end of discussion!
  • Tap into a group chat. Honey, if some of my group chats ever get leaked…Let’s just say a time is always had. Between my sister chat (currently named “The Shan’ts”; don’t even ask 😂), work chat (icon has changed from a rainbow unicorn to a bag of money 👀), & my individual girlfriend chats, I get a good hee hee at least once a day.
• Financial 💰:
  • Start & maintain a budget. My Excel spreadsheets track pretty much every bit of money that comes out of the accounts. It’s helped me see where the money is going & where the money is being blown. Track the amount you spend eating out versus on groceries for 1 month. The amount might blow your mind!
  • Attend financial wellness classes & workshops. I’ve attended quite a few this year for household & business finances. There’s so much info out here that many of us knew nothing about. It’s sad to see how people don’t feel the need to share the wealth (knowledge, not coins). There’s enough out here for everyone.
• Professional 💼:
  • Update your resume. It’s always good to have your resume up-to-date. You never know when opportunity will knock, & I know I definitely can’t remember everything I’ve attended or accomplished every year. Keeping it current alleviates stress when it’s time to send it out.
  • Indulge in workshops & trainings. As a lover of learning, I’m good for signing up for something that expands my knowledge. The more you know, the more you grow!

     Self-care takes effort. You have to know what works for you & what doesn’t, you have to know when it’s time to put things on pause & refill your cup, & you have to plan for time & resources you need for your tasks. 🗓️ You have to be INTENTIONAL about self-care so you can be the best you through intentional growth. Let’s grow together! 😘