I’M JUST CURIOUS: 10 steps to self-care

by Debbie Walker

Hi! Okay I have to tell you right from the start that the basic steps were also on-line. I did add some of my “senior” wisdom. (Anyone who knows me will see humor in that comment.)

1. If it feels wrong, don’t do it.

When my grandkids were growing up, we tried to teach them about their Intuition. We resorted to “Is this something you would want to tell (Great) Grammie what you did (or said)? They adored her and never wanted to disappoint Grammie.

2. Say exactly what you mean.

Don’t assume someone understands what you intend. Don’t give them a half answer or half question. Be clear. Too often we are busy and give a condensed version, not everyone will see things as clearly as you.

3. Don’t be a people pleaser.

If someone asks you a question be as honest as you can be. Don’t give them the answer you think they want but don’t be hateful either. Often, I will tell someone that I don’t feel qualified to answer the question. It’s okay to just say, “I would not be comfortable answering that”. And in the real world you have to pick and choose your answers according to the situation.

4. Trust your instincts.

I believe this is pretty the same idea as #1, still have to refer back to instinct/intuition. How many times have you said, “I should have gone with my gut feeling”. Do I have to say more?

5. Never speak badly about yourself.

When you speak badly about yourself, it slowly but surely teaches you to think negatively about yourself. You may use your opinion of you as an excuse to not try something new. Also, who hears your negative comments? My Mom used to call herself “stupid.” One day I told her she had to not do that when doing things for the grandkids. They will someday think the same about themselves and use it for an excuse not to try something new. That would be sad.

6. Never give up on your dreams.

Keep some kind of a dream in front of you. You will be healthier having something to look forward to. They don’t have to be big dreams. It doesn’t have to be big dreams. Try new things and meet new people. You may never know what experiences are coming your way. Keep your Dreams.

7. Don’t be afraid to say NO.

To me this one is very much like #3. You have a right to say “No” sometimes. If you over-extend yourself by always saying “yes” when you have a good reason to say “no”, you may become resentful.

8. Don’t be afraid to say yes.

I think we have covered this earlier.

9. Be kind to yourself.

If you treat yourself as you would treat a friend, that’s a good head start.

10. Let go of what you cannot control.

I am just curious of how well we treat ourselves. If you don’t take care of you there won’t be anything left to care for someone else with.

Any questions or comments find me at DebbieWalker@townline.org . Thanks for reading and enjoy your week!