5 Self Care Tools To Jumpstart Your Healing Journey
5 Self Care Tools to Jumpstart Your Healing Journey
Written by Christy Tonel, MPH, RYT
Founder, Compassionate Connections
Grants & Finance Manager for Therapin*y
Are you new to your healing journey? Are you looking for holistic health tools that can help you find balance, cope with stress, and deepen your self care practices?
Remember, self-care is a reflection of the love you have for yourself. Trauma and pain can often lead us feeling disconnected and fragmented, but finding small steps to cater and nurture yourself can be empowering!
Aromatherapy
There is no doubt that certain scents can affect our mood and mental health. When we don’t like a smell, we immediately feel disgust and discomfort, but when we smell lavender or rose, we seem to relax and decompress.
Aromatherapy through the use of scents and smells, typically through essential oils and incense, can be a great tool to elevate your physical, mental, and emotional health. Maybe you can end the day with a candle and bath, spray some essential oil mist onto your pillows before bed, or light some incense as you meditate. My personal favorites are lavender to soothe, sage to ground, and citrus to energize! Try experimenting with different scents that work for you, find what relaxes, energizes, and grounds you. Remember, be mindful of where you are purchasing your oils and to carefully read directions when applying to one’s skin!
Tarot & Oracle Cards
Divination tools are great to strengthen your spiritual health. Tarot and Oracle cards can help you connect and receive messages from your higher power, the universe, highest self, or whatever you connect to. Card decks can vary in images and messages - feel free to get online to start researching decks that are calling you. Some focus on self care techniques, ancient medicine messages, reflection quotes, etc. I personally have over a dozen decks and try to use them as often as I can. Sometimes, I pull one card a day and sometimes when I need clarity on an issue, I use a spread. However you choose to pull your cards, reflect on the messages and symbols that are revealed to you and integrate those insights into your daily being!
Trauma Informed Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation
Trauma and stress often is stored in our bodies, leaving us feeling uncomfortable within ourselves, our breath, and our minds. Trauma informed yoga, breathwork, and meditation can provide a space where you can practice slowly and safely, as a way to feel less overwhelmed and triggered, which can happen to those who are new to guided movement, focus, and breath. Being mindful about how we move, breathe, and think can help us release excess energy and tension we are carrying, lower anxiety and depression levels, and increase strength and flexibility. I personally find time to slow down everyday, even for 5 - 15 minutes, as a means to check in with myself and tend to any of my needs. Remember, a way to honor yourself is to listen to your needs and follow through with them! I encourage you to check out apps or online videos that can guide you through these practices.
Journaling
Journaling provides you a tool to reflect and reframe your thoughts with the written process. Journaling can help reduce stress, increase mindfulness, and improve your creativity. Get curious with your journal! Experiment with free write, look for guided prompts, list your gratitudes, create positive affirmations, or even set goals. Find a way to organize your thoughts, feelings, and insights! I’ve been journaling ever since I was a child; it helped me manage my anxious and depressive thoughts, rather than stewing in them. Today, I continue to journal almost daily, whether it’s me brain dumping my thoughts in the morning, or jotting down my fears on a post-it at my desk.
Community
Healing takes not only self-care, but community care. Remember, we cannot do everything on our own; it takes connection to heal as well. Finding a community who you can relate to can take time, but I urge you to take a step towards different groups and passions. Maybe there's a yoga in the park class you’ve always been interested in? Maybe you heard about a support group that meets weekly? Maybe there’s a community event that you’d like to check out? I encourage you all to explore and be courageous! Try mingling with a few people and see how you feel. Perhaps, an in-person meeting may be too daunting? Lean into online communities and social media! Check out different websites or pages that align with your values and interests and connect with people on that platform! Need a suggestion? Connect with Therapin*y!