Recently, I held an Intention Setting event. I walked everyone through a powerful clearing meditation, and then we tuned inward and connected to our intention for the year. It was fun to hear what came up for everyone.
I noticed an underlying theme from each of the women who shared. The theme was self-care and self-love. Each woman talked about wanting to heal and let go of something that has happened in the past so they could focus on taking better care of themselves for the new year.
Have you set your intention for the year? Is there an underlying theme of wanting to take care of yourself more – to make yourself and your needs more of a priority this year?
I thought I would share a self-care visualization to help you remember and connect to times when you have taken care of yourself. Unfortunately, our brains are more likely to hold onto our negative experiences than positive ones.
Let’s begin . . .
- Find a comfortable, quiet spot.
- Start by closing your eyes and take 3-4 deep breaths.
- Think of a time when you felt really good in your body and life. It could be a time when you were on vacation or simply at home. Maybe you were with many people, just one other person, or by yourself.
- Don’t overthink it or try to pick the ‘perfect’ time; choose a time you remember feeling good, and you felt like you were taking care of yourself. For example, it could be the last time you took a bath, went on a walk, got a massage, spent quality time with someone you love, read a book, got a good night’s sleep, sat in the sunshine, spent some alone time, or were on vacation. The important thing is that you feel good. You felt like you were taking care of yourself.
- Take another 3-4 deep breaths and visualize yourself back in the moment you chose, remembering in as much detail as possible. Describe your surroundings, what you were doing, who you were with, what you were feeling, and what you were thinking. Did you feel peaceful, free, excited, joyful, happy, loving, connected, calm? Was it quiet? What noises did you hear? Were you in a conversation?
Thinking of a time or describing all the details may take some practice. It is okay. Be gentle with yourself.
The more you walk through this visualization, the easier it will be for you to return to these feelings of self-care and self-love.
Walking through this visualization multiple times, imagining different times you felt good and cared for yourself, will help you focus on the positive times.
I suggest writing down all the details in a journal, so on those days you are feeling down and having difficulty taking care of yourself, you can return to the feelings of a time you felt like you were taking care of yourself.
“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and make your happiness a priority. It’s a necessity.” Mindy Hale