Recognizing Change Is Needed - day 11 UBC Challenge

Self-care and Change go hand in hand although it is difficult to do in many instances. When I worked in the Mental Health field, I facilitated support groups and many different conferences for people living with mental health, families, and staff. Among the topics discussed, the importance of Self-Care and Change was always talked about. Let me pose a question to you, how do you implement Self-Care in your life? Does it just happen or is it something you must conscientiously work on? 

It takes courage to put Self-care in the forefront of our lives. It takes courage to change things that are familiar to us as well. Courage is a mindset that all of us hold within ourselves. 

Did you know that Self-care is the practice of doing things for your body, soul, and mind that promotes wellbeing and less stress? Less stress? Promotes a wellbeing. I don't know about you, but I have stressors every single day unless I change the situations around me. I have learned there are good stressors and there are bad. How many of you live with stressors in your life daily? Does the same stress promote your wellbeing? If you said YES that you have stress, then you might need to make some changes to promote wellbeing. 

Thinking about the things that promote my wellbeing, I came up with a list of things that promote my Self-care. Read through the list and let me know if you can relate to any of them. Did any of mine, hit a nerve for you?  

*getting plenty of sleep.

*maintaining boundaries.

*learning and saying "no"

*eating healthy meals.

*removing toxic people from my life.

*be willing to change.

*removing the negativity around me.

*affirming myself daily.

*giving myself grace.

*taking care of my health.

*taking time for me (in other words, having ME time)

*doing things that make me happy.

*communicate my feelings.

*don't bottle things up inside (let those walls down)

*ask for help if needed.

*recognizing change is needed.

*be mindful daily.

*be truthful daily with self and with others.

*have purpose.

*be forgiving and ask for forgiveness if needed.

*don't live in the past.

*don't let the past define who I am.

*don't hold grudges.

*love self and others.

*don't allow judgments of others to define me.

Could you relate to any that I have? Did you have others I didn't list? If so, what were some of them? 

To have Self-care, one needs to recognize that change is needed. Have you ever known anyone who is set in their ways and refuses to change no matter the cost? I have...and it isn't fun. It's like that broken record...I want to change but I'm NOT willing to do anything different. If that is the mindset, then how will the change be achieved? Newsflash - things will never change. You will continue to live in the vicious cycle of going around and around and around, wanting, and expecting different outcomes without doing anything different. It doesn't work like that. To change, things must be different. Plain and Simple. 

The First Step to Change is to Recognize it is Needed.

If you’re struggling to make healthier changes in your life, it could be that you’re not convinced a change is needed. Many of us are also great at avoiding change. It tends to be something we dread, rather than look forward to.

However, if you want to live your best life, it’s imperative you recognize when a change is needed. So, how exactly can you recognize that change is needed in your life? Below, you’ll discover some of the common signs to look out for.

You feel lost or stuck in life.

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and you have lost your purpose? This is a sure sign that a change is needed. Everyone has a purpose, but it isn’t always easy to identify it. Also, your purpose can change as you get older and go through life’s experiences. So, if you feel like your life isn’t your own anymore, it’s time to make a change.

Your mood is consistently flat.

Another sign change is needed is if you find your mood is constantly flat. That is, you don’t really enjoy anything anymore. You don’t have to feel depressed to make a change, simply feeling constantly flat is another indicator your life isn’t satisfying.

Think about the things that used to make you feel good. It could be that you once enjoyed your career. If you now don’t like your job, it’s a sign you need to make a change to get back to feeling that initial excitement.

You suffer with poor self-esteem.

Low self-esteem can develop for a lot of different reasons. However, it tends to be more prevalent in those who don’t take care of themselves. If you lack self-care, you may criticize yourself more or feel like you aren’t worth much.

Over time, poor self-esteem can lead you to feel like you don’t deserve good things in life. This in turn can cause you to give up trying to be happy. If you suffer with poor self-esteem, it is a good sign you need a change.

You have very little energy.

Having little energy throughout the day could be a sign of poor sleep. However, it can also relate to a deeper issue if you are constantly tired. It may mean that you have lost your passion and interest in life. When you spend a lot of time doing things that don’t inspire you, it can zap your energy quickly.

So, if you wake up feeling tired and drained consistently, take it as a sign you need more self-care in your life. When you are taking care of yourself, you’ll feel energized and ready to take on anything.

As you can see, there are a lot of signs that could point to the fact you need a change. Self-care can really help to improve self-esteem, give you a sense of purpose and help to make you feel happier and more energized. So, if you want to make a change, recognize where your current issues lie and use self-care to eliminate them.

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