Emotional Self-Care 101

Throughout your life you’re bound to experience a full range of emotions that reflect what is going on inside and outside you. Knowing your emotions and the effect they can have on your wellbeing is the first step to good emotional self-care. While this is an incredibly broad topic to discuss, in today’s post you can find out more about two of the main areas of emotional self-care: shifting your internal self-talk and setting healthy boundaries to build emotional space around you.

1. What’s your internal self-talk? 

Self-talk is your internal dialogue - it’s how you speak to yourself about your beliefs, thoughts, and ideas. Your self-talk can either be positive or negative and you have the power to intentionally change it to be kinder, gentler and more encouraging. You can learn to shift this inner dialogue and it can help you be a more positive person and to ultimately live a happier life. 

Here are some examples to help you start reflecting:

Instead of: I failed and I embarrassed myself.

Try: I am proud I even tried - that took courage.

Instead of: There is no way I can make this work.

Try: I can do this, and I will try my best.

Instead of: I will disappoint everyone if I change my mind.

Try: I am allowed to change my mind and it will be okay.

2. Setting healthy boundaries

Healthy boundaries are a very important aspect of self-care and they are crucial for your wellbeing. Boundaries can be emotional, psychological and physical. For example,  it’s very important for you to tell someone not to touch you if it makes you feel uncomfortable but it is just as important to ask them not to call you or make emotional demands off you if you don’t want them to. The first thing you need to know about setting boundaries is that you are under no obligation to explain yourself. You can simply and firmly say “no” to something you don’t want to do and you shouldn’t feel that you need to explain.

Here are some example of how you can start communicating boundaries to people in your life:

• “I’m not comfortable with you calling me at these hours of the night”
• “I’m not looking for your advice now, just to feel supported”
• “I will come to the party but I will only stay for an hour because I want to wake up early tomorrow”
• “It’s really difficult for me to make it to the appointment time you proposed, are there any other spaces available?”

...Are you intentional in taking care of your emotions? More emotional self-care reflections coming up soon! In the meantime, leave your thoughts below.