This post is all about ideas you can use to create emotional self care habits
Emotional self care is essential for managing stress and promoting overall wellbeing. In our busy lives as women, it’s easy to neglect taking care of our emotional health. As someone who struggled with anxiety and burnout after my first company, I’ve learned firsthand how critical emotional self care is for me to stay balanced and centered. In this post, we will explore how to practice emotional self care habits that can help you reduce anxiety, boost your mood, and find inner peace amidst the stresses of everyday life.
What is Emotional Self Care?
Emotional self care is all about intentionally taking time to nurture your feelings and inner well being. It’s about tuning into your conscious inner state of your emotions and mental health and meeting your own needs, in a healthy way.
Unlike physical self care, which is focused on physical activity and taking care of your body, emotional self care is all about that feel good self love! It means prioritizing your emotional health and carving out time for activities that help you destress, reconnect with yourself, and process your feelings.
Mental self care activities look different for everyone. For some, it may mean journaling, meditating, or seeing a therapist. For others, it’s about setting healthy boundaries, saying no to things that cause stress, and making space for hobbies and passions. However you choose to practice it, the goal of emotional self care is always to be kind to yourself and prioritize your mental and emotional health.
When we take steps to care for our own emotions, we become softer, have more self-compassion, and gain the tools we need to navigate life’s ups and downs. In other words, emotional self care helps us be live our best life! It allows us to show up fully and authentically for others when we first take care of our own hearts and minds.
Why is Emotional Self Care Important?
Emotional self care is super essential for our health and our physical health and well being in numerous ways:
Managing Stress
When we consistently care for our emotions, it helps moderate our reactions to stress and negative self talk. Emotional self care activities like taking a warm bath, sipping herbal tea, and listening to calming music help reduce anxiety. It also allows us to process challenging feelings and prevent future mental health issues. By regularly checking in with our emotions and meeting our needs, we build resilience against daily stressors.
Promoting Overall Wellness
Our emotional well being is a huge part of our overall wellness. When we take time for emotional self care, it allows us to be more mindful, self-aware, and in tune with our emotional needs more. This lays the foundation for making choices that support our overall quality of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
Preventing Burnout
Without emotional self care, it’s easy to run yourself into the ground. Burnout is inevitable when you constantly care for others or a family member without replenishing yourself. Emotional self-care allows you to set healthy boundaries, graciously decline extra demands, and proactively reenergize so you can avoid depletion and negative emotions.
Practicing emotional self-care empowers you to establish caring boundaries, say no when needed, and take restorative breaks, preventing fatigue, frustration and negative emotions.
Boosting Mood
Many emotional self care practices like meditating, exercising, being in nature, or spending time and engaging in hobbies directly improve mood. By caring for your emotions, you give yourself daily doses of joy and a positive self talk which uplift your spirits.
Building Resilience
Daily routines that incorporate emotional self care help develop coping skills that allow you to bounce back from life’s challenges. It provides the resources you need to process setbacks, grieve losses, and deal with negative feelings in a healthy way.
Benefits of an Emotional Self Care Routine
Get pumped, ladies – taking time for regular emotional TLC will benefit your life! From a calmer nervous system to solid relationships, self-care takes care of YOU. Let’s dive in…
Anxiety
Emotional self-care tools like breathing exercises, workout jams, journaling, and limiting social media scrolling help put anxiety to the curb. No more stress-spiraling or panic attacks – you’ve got this! Stay centered, stay connected, and keep your cool.
Increased Positive Emotions
Joyful hobbies and a positive daily life routine filled with belly laughs = one happy chicka. Minimize negative vibes and maximize the fuzzy feel goods! A little self-care goes a long way to boosting your mood all day.
Confidence Level
Talking lovingly to yourself in the mirror, using positive thinking, appreciating your wins, and practicing emotional self care will improve your self-esteem! Start noticing and adoring everything that makes you YOU. Your inner critic doesn’t stand a chance against your self-love.
Healthy Relationships?
Just add a self care plan! Taking care of your feelings first leaves you energized to show up fully for others. You’ll have patience, presence, and energy left in your tank for true connections. Trade in resentment for open communication. Your squad will thank you!
Enhanced Focus & Productivity:
With your calm emotional foundation, you can totally OWN each day. Anxiety who? Procrastination begone! Emotional balance helps you lock into work and study like a boss. It will also translate into your physical health. You got this, queen!
Increased Creativity
The more you care for your inner world and process your emotions in healthy ways, the more your unique creative juices can flow! You can spend time pouring into your creative side and explore hobbies such as dancing, painting, and writing. Emotional self care fuels original thinking and inventive expression.
Deeper Self-Knowledge
Emotional self care builds mindfulness and tunes you into your inner landscape. By practicing emotional self care, you will understand your feelings more deeply and gain wisdom about yourself and what you need.
Let’s keep moving forward and thriving our everyday lives together! Emotional self-care brings so many gifts into your life. Hop on board the bliss and empowerment train, next stop Self-Love City!
The Best Habits to Practice Emotional Self Care
We’ve all got our own ways of caring for our emotions and a healthier way of keeping our spirits lifted. Here are 27 of my personal fave habits to relax and show your heart some love! Try out a few that speak to you.
Journal Your Thoughts and Feelings
Keep a journal to express your emotions, process challenging experiences, and clarify your thinking. Putting pen to paper is extremely cathartic and promotes self-awareness. Release what weighs you down.
Dance Party for One
Crank up your favorite feel-good jams and shake, rattle, and roll solo! Dancing helps release stale energy, boosts your endorphins and gets your creativity flowing. Let loose and bust a move even if you have zero choreography skills.
Chat with a Life-Giving Friend
Connecting deeply with loved ones for laughs, vent sessions, and positive vibes nourishes your spirit. Call on your best friend or your soul sisters when you need to unload or re-energize. Sharing feelings and experiences with trusted friends provides emotional support.
Schedule Recurring “Me Time”
Put yourself on the calendar before it’s too late! Block off time for relaxing and enjoyable activities like a bubble bath, nature walk, massage or Netflix binge. Having something consistent to look forward to is key. Treat quiet time for yourself as a priority.
Five Senses Grounding
When emotions feel intense, tune into your senses to return to the present moment. Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This sensory awareness gets you out of “fight or flight” mode.
Change Up Your Scenery
New environments energize your emotions and stimulate your senses. Take a mini trip somewhere fresh or rearrange your living space. Bringing novelty into your surroundings can shift your state of mind.
Wake Up Slowly
Start your day grounded and peaceful by transitioning gently into wakefulness. Hit snooze, snuggle up comfortably, meditate, and avoid early morning rush. Easing into your day prevents agitation later on.
Laugh at Funny Videos
Laughter instantly boosts mood! Search for hilarious animal clips, comedian sets, silly cartoons or funny movies and let the giggles rip. Even forcing a laugh can lighten your mood through the release of endorphins.
Download a Mood Tracking App
Increase self-awareness by checking in with your emotions daily. Note any patterns that emerge around your mood, diet, social life etc. Tracking your mental state can provide valuable insights. Here is a link to some good mood apps you can download.
Try a New Hobby
Learn something new to spark curiosity, flow, and joy! Pottery, photography, dance classes, gardening etc – any passion project will feed your soul. New hobbies increase pleasure naturally.
Get Professional Help With a Therapist
Unpack your feelings and experiences in a safe space with an unbiased professional. Therapy provides ongoing emotional support as you navigate life’s challenges. Healing happens in the presence of someone fully listening.
Practice Mindful Movement
Flow through gentle exercises like tai chi, yoga, or stretching with your full awareness. Moving mindfully releases stored emotions and brings you into your body. Afterwards, take time to be still and reflect.
Compliment Yourself Daily
Write down or say out loud the qualities, skills, and talents you appreciate about yourself. Put kind notes on your mirror! Taking time to acknowledge the good fosters self-love.
Limit Social Media
Give your emotions a break from the comparison trap and information overload of social media scrolling. Unplugging allows feelings of contentment to arise naturally. Too much screen time can heighten anxiety.
Take a Mini-Retreat Day
Unplug completely from technology and responsibilities for a day of renewal. Reconnect with yourself through journaling, meditation, reflection, and time in nature. Emotional reset!
Pick a Power Mantra
Choose an uplifting phrase like “This too shall pass” or “I am enough” to repeat whenever you need a motivational lift. Mantras boost resilience against daily life’s ups and downs.
Try Aromatherapy
Relax and uplift your mood by diffusing or inhaling soothing scents like lavender, bergamot, or eucalyptus. Certain natural aromas can relieve anxiety, reduce stress, and promote emotional well-being.
Write Yourself a Compassion Letter
Pour out kind and understanding words your heart needs to hear during tough times. Keep this letter somewhere accessible and reread it when you need comfort or encouragement.
Make Time for Your Passion
Feed your soul by carving out time for whatever gets you fired up – dancing, painting, hiking, baking, etc! Schedule activities that spark creativity and joy. Follow your bliss.
Hug a Tree
Stand with your arms wrapped around a tree trunk and feel its sturdiness. This contact with nature is soothing and helps you feel safely anchored. Take a few deep breaths.
Meet Anger with Softness
Don’t fight against feelings of frustration. Instead, breathe deeply and picture your anger dissipating like clouds passing by. Respond gently and give yourself patience.
Declutter and Organize Your Space
External order helps instill inner calm. Decluttering and cleaning your living space clears out stagnant energy. Simplify and let go of unnecessary stuff weighing you down!
Ask for Help When Needed
Vulnerability strengthens bonds. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your support system when life feels overwhelming. We all need assistance sometimes. You don’t have to navigate hard times alone.
Relax with a Coloring Book
Let your thoughts unwind while you focus on coloring intricate patterns and designs. This creative outlet can lower stress and induce a meditative state. Stay inside the lines and let your mind chill.
Go Stargazing
Feel your worries shrink beneath the vastness of the night sky scattered with stars and planets. Connecting with this infinite, awe-inspiring view cultivates perspective.
Have a Good Long Cry
Find a quiet space, let the tears flow, and give in to some healthy sobbing. Releasing pent-up emotions prevents blow-ups later. You’ll feel refreshed after crying it out.
Forgive Yourself Fully
When disappointment or failure hits, respond with self-compassion rather than criticism. Remind yourself that you’re only human. Learn and grow at your own pace through self-forgiveness.
Start Squeezing In That Sweet Self-Care!
I know life gets crazy busy, but show yourself some love by picking a few habits that call to you. Start small if needed, like 5 minutes of dancing or doodling before bed. Tiny steps count too!
The more you can connect to YOUR needs (not just everyone else’s), the happier, resilient, and confident you’ll feel. You can’t pour from an empty cup, ya feel me? Keep that inner light shining bright!
And remember, self-care isn’t selfish – it allows you to uplift the world around you even more! You have so much extra juicy energy to give when you’re grounded and nourished.
So treat yourself with the same warmth you give your besties. Look in the mirror and say it with me: “I got you, girl!” Say it again! Loving yourself is a lifelong journey, but you owe it to YOUR spirit to walk the path.
