Second Story Women's Centre supports women and gender-diverse people, provides
safer spaces, and advocates for social change. 

How to Practice Self Care

"In recent years, self-care has turned into an entire industry, and with that industry have risen misconceptions that self-care must be costly and time-consuming and is only necessary once we’ve burned out. In reality, self-care is most effective when it’s done as a preventative measure that is a natural part of your daily life." - How to Practice Preventative Self Care

In fact, every day is a good day for self care! If you're looking to make self care a habit, here are some hints for Autumn!

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Struggling to find time for self-care? Shower Meditation might be for you! Next time you're hopping in the shower or tub, give it a try! 
Some suggestions:

• Use your senses: Turn on the shower, and listen. Hear the sound the water makes. Feel the air around you start to change and warm. Feel the little droplets running down your body and over your skin. Notice how your body actually feels
  
• Visualize: Feel each individual particle of water washing down your body and imagine it taking your stress, anger, regret, sadness and negative thoughts with it. Imagine these feelings disappearing down the drain
  
• Self-massage: Feel how your fingers touch your scalp when you're washing your hair. If you have a favourite scent or product, start massaging it into your skin. Start at your shoulders and arms, take every single stroke with dedication, and really imagine it washing away the tension and stress in your body. Imagine it taking the stress out of your shoulders. Work your way downward, pushing your stress and tension into the floor as you wash your lower back, legs and feet. Go slow and savour every moment

NEW: Check out these free, guided exercises for managing stress and anxiety through mindful awareness, breathing, and simple movements, for adults AND children! Quick and easy, from the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute.

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Self-Care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. It is an important part of our ongoing wellness. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety, and feelings of stress. What do you do for your self-care? One important step in self-care is getting out in nature and moving your body, even for a few minutes.

Here are a few wellness/self care suggestions:
Wellness Walk
Take 10 minutes to go for a walk; in your yard, down the street, or on a trail. Choose to either A) Pay attention to what you hear - birds singing, wind in the trees, cars, church bells, children playing, etc. or B) Pay attention to the colours you see - bright green, light blue, grey, pink, purple, etc. If thoughts float into your head that is okay, do your best to refocus your attention on what you hear or the colours you see. Give it a try!

Shower Meditation
Every time you take a shower, visualize washing away your stress and anxiety. Concentrate on the feel of the water upon your skin. Envision the power of the water washing away your negative thoughts. Feel sadness, regret, anger, and depression washing right off of you. Let it all go down the drain, you'll start to feel lighter and much more clear. Try it for a week and see if you notice a difference in yourself.

The River: A Visualization Exercise
​Items floating down a river, perhaps leaves or chunks of debris (thoughts, feelings, images), instead of struggling to stay afloat, we can visualize ourselves standing on the bank watching our thoughts, images and sensations drifting on by down the river.

Forest Bathing
​Benefits :

• Can reduce stress and anxiety
• Connect with nature
• Reduce cortisol levels
• Slows heart rate
• Can lower blood pressure

How to Forest Bathe: 

1. Find the right place: Look for a secluded spot.
2. Choose a time and duration that’s right for you (even 10-20 minutes can be beneficial, but the longer the better)
3. Take only what is necessary ( no pictures, cell phone stays home or at least with ringer off (some need for safety)
4. Go slow: (sitting down and feeling the earth beneath you is encouraged, find a place to be still and observe)
5. Notice small details: let your senses experience what is around you ( the goal is not to think, but feel)
6. Observe: Look up at the leaf canopy and pay attention to the light coming through, examine the forest floor, look at patterns in leaves, bark and rocks.
7. Use your nose: Can you smell the soil?
8. Listen to the ebbs and flows of the forest around you.
9. Touch things
10. Engage your sense of taste: Catch a raindrop!

Journaling
Journaling can help manage anxiety, reduce stress, depression and helps people cope.
Here are a few journaling prompt questions that encourage self-care and wellness.
1. What are 3 things you are doing that no longer serve you? How can you stop doing these things?
2. Make a list of people in your life who support you. Why does their support mean so much to you?
3. What makes you feel at peace and why?
4. Make a list of 10-20 things that make you smile :)

Self Care Cheat Sheet with 6 Easy Steps
1. Get Some Rest: Get a good night sleep, nap if you need to and make it a point to tell yourself "I'm resting now at least once a day (even for 10 minutes).
2. Fuel Your Body: Eat healthy, and drink lots of water.
3. Move It! : Do what feels good to you. Dance, go for a walk, stretch, just move!
4. Be Still: Take 10 minutes every day to just breathe. Get quiet and take some deep belly breaths.
5. Gratitude: express gratitude. What are you grateful for the big and the small?
6. Enjoy Yourself: Do something everyday that brings joy, makes you smile or even laugh out loud.

​Download this handy list of wellness reminders in PDF: wellness_reminders.pdf