Self-Care for Difficult Times

Exploring the bottom of the self-care pyramid

Part 2 of 5

This post is part of a five part series. Read Part 1 of this blog series here.

At some points in our lives, self-care simply looks like meeting our basic needs. Even if you typically have the resources to provide food, clothing, and shelter for yourself, you may experience particularly stressful seasons of life in which it can feel hard to meet these needs.

For example, as I mentioned in my last post, the time after I had my second child was extremely hard. Despite having a Meal Train and a refrigerator full of food, actually getting the food in my mouth was a struggle because I was overwhelmed by the demands of mothering a toddler and a newborn while my husband worked.

Self-care can look different based on your circumstances.

For people experiencing food insecurity, simply eating is self-care. For people with more ample means, eating as self-care might look a little different. It might look like preparing a colorful meal and sitting down to enjoy it mindfully. Or it might look like brunch with friends (paying someone else to take care of you while also moving up the pyramid a bit to self-care in relationships).

I believe we can take these mundane opportunities for good hygiene and meeting our basic needs and transform them through mindfulness into nurturing experiences.

We have to find simple, sustainable ways to take care of ourselves because we deserve it but also because our families and our communities need us.

Self-care activities for this level of the Self-Care Pyramid:

Take a Self-Indulgent Shower - stay fully present with yourself and engage your senses
Toothbrush Meditation - set a timer for two minutes and brush your teeth for the whole time, making sure to do a thorough job without pressing too hard. Focus on brushing each tooth, the brushing sounds, and the minty smell of the toothpaste.
Mindful eating - sit down for your meal and engage using all your senses
Gratitude journal - write down a few things you feel thankful for each day
Get enough sleep
Schedule your annual physical

What other activities would add for this level? Let me know in the comments below!

Next time, we’ll move up the pyramid and explore self-care as nervous system awareness and regulation. If you haven’t already, be sure to use the form below to subscribe so you don’t miss a post!