[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It is easy to get worn down. And impossible to pour from an empty cup when there are no reserves. That's when you and everyone around you suffer.
This happens to everyone. That's why more and more people are turning to activities like exercise,
meditation, healthy eating and proper sleep to keep the body, mind and spirit in check.
Self-care fills the cup. But when always done alone, it can feel isolating.
People may think they can or even have to do it all on their own. But no person is an island. When times get rough, you need someone to lean on. While celebrating the good times, the goofy times, and the can't stop laughing until you cry times together makes for a much richer and more fulfilling experience.
Why not take the time to gather with intention? Self care with friends takes caring and sharing to a whole new level - allowing you to deepen your relationships, connect with authenticity and bring relaxing experiences to your social sphere.
Grab a family member, a spouse, a best friend or even 10 friends. Spending time doing self-care activities together means everyone's cup is getting filled simultaneously. Imagine how potent and healthy your community can be when you all charge up your energy together!
Start a self-care movement in your social group because everything in life is better with those you love.
How to practice self care with friends
Start by picking your peeps. If you want to start small, grab a bestie or your partner. Or, if you are feeling industrious, make a list of the people in your life who fuel you. Ask yourself who supports you and makes you feel safe and loved? These are the people you'll want with you on your healing journey. Invite them to gather with you.
Create a group chat to get everyone hyped and stay connected. Plus, you'll get built-in accountability buddies. You will keep each other motivated on your self-care journeys.
Set an intention for your gathering. What feeling are you hoping to accomplish? Joy, ease, flow, abundance, pleasure, soothing? The sky's the limit. Once you have that down, curate your activities to match.
Take some time to check in with each member of your self-care collective. Who is going through what? What does each person need? Talking's another form of self-care.
Go around the circle and share. Let everyone feel heard, and offer your support. You don't have to fix it. Just listen.
Choose your favorite activities. Discover new self-care activities you haven't tried before because everyone self-soothes differently. In the "each one, teach one" mentality, each person can get a chance to be the mentor and bring their favorite healing tools to the group.
Pick from a variety of activities. Lives are multifaceted, and so self-care should be too. Look out for new ways to nurture yourself and one another.
When choosing healthy practices, consider addressing each of the five critical areas of self-care: physical self-care, emotional self-care, mental health self-care, spiritual self-care and social self-care.
1. Physical self-care.
Physical self-care is the proper care of the body. Cooking a healthy meal together, taking an exercise class, attending a nutrition workshop, going for a hike, dancing, sitting in the sun drinking tea, having a slumber party or getting your nails done are all examples of physical care.
Or try a DIY day with
bath bombs,
essential oil blends and
homemade face masks that relieve stress.
2. Emotional self-care.
Emotional self-care activities embrace the feelings and help to identify and process them. Let yourself feel your emotions, and be vulnerable and open. Get to know one another on deeper levels and practice different coping strategies. Activities like having a long talk,
journaling together, watching a tearjerker,
practicing gratitude, making lists of the things you love about one another and attending non-violent communication or authentic relating courses are all forms of emotional self-care.
3. Mental self-care.
Mental self-care is another form that helps to soothe and declutter the mind. Activities that activate the mind include brain games, puzzles, getting crafty, listening to music,
taking up a new hobby or skill, learning a language, going to a new place, unplugging the phones or having an inspirational book club support mental health.
4. Spiritual self-care
Spiritual self-care helps to connect you with a profound sense of meaning and connection to life. Creating personalized mantras, making vision boards, meditation classes, spending time in nature, yoga workshops, creating sacred spaces in the home, prayer groups, burning bowl ceremonies and volunteering for a worthy cause all support the spirit.
5. Social self-care
Social self-care cultivates meaningful relationships and presents the opportunity to practice healthy boundaries. By engaging in self-care with friends, you're already working on your social self-care.
Hooray! Pat yourself on the back.
Spend quality time together unplugged, enriching your support system. Practicing nonverbal communication, empathy, active listening, positive feedback, staying present and sharing kindness are all tools you can use during any self-care activity to enrich the experience for all.
Make group self-care a regular thing, and watch your community thrive.
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