The question you need to ask yourself as you wonder, “Is it worth it to exercise, eat healthy and work on your relationships?” is “Do I love myself enough to make the changes necessary to feel better and have a better life?”
The key to self-care is just that, care about yourself. Not just care, but love yourself! A lot! Love yourself enough to make changes if they are needed. Love yourself enough to let go of what isn’t working for you, whether it is your diet, relationship or job. Love yourself enough to let go of the fears that change brings, and go for it! There are so many ways to love you.
First, take a good long look at how your life is and what you might want to change. Look at your body. Look beyond the societal beauty markers and ask yourself,”Do I feel good? Does it feel good to live in this body?” Your body is the vehicle you have to move through this world. And you only get one per lifetime. So does it need a tune up? Does it need better fuel? Maybe just a paint job? Sometimes self-love looks like getting some new, flattering clothes. At other times it’s finding the right natural health practitioner to help you with your health concerns, or to make those dietary changes you know you should, like getting rid of the fast food and soda. You are not a victim to your body. You have control of a lot of it. You don’t have to just sit back and say that you are getting older, so now you won’t feel good. That’s not how it works! Bodies have remarkable recovery tools if we just find how to activate them. Treat your body well and it will treat you well. If you don’t know how, find someone who does.
Secondly, take a look at your relationships. Do you feel peaceful and loved when you think of the people in your life, or is it full of drama and stress? Life is too short to waste it struggling with people in your life. There a lot of tools out there to help you with your relationships, from counselors to self-help books. My personal favorite is journaling. Journaling has helped me sort my brain out and formulate what I want since I was 9 years old. I don’t edit; I just write. Then I look at what I’ve said and think about what I need to do.
The important thing is to be honest with yourself no matter where you turn for guidance. If things need to change, then change them. Love yourself enough to have a talk with someone, or change how you perceive yourself or others, or to give yourself a break for not being perfect. Look at yourself first. Do what you need to do for you, because you are the only one you can change.
Thirdly, take a look at your spiritual well-being. Do you feel connected to Spirit/God/The Powers that Be? Your soul and spirit need to be nurtured, as well. Do you feel guided and loved? There are so many ways to connect to Spirit, and we are blessed to be living in a time and a place that allows that exploration. So explore! Read books, go to churches and spiritual gatherings, find a place or practice that helps you feel good. Any spirituality that doesn’t do that is missing the point. You are a beloved part of the Creator and you get to choose how to express and experience that in your life.
Have fun with all of it! A self-inventory is a great way to find what changes you need to make, but don’t let it be work or another way to bring you down. Get help when and where you need it. Laugh, enjoy exploring new things! Enjoy your body and your life!
I love your message love yourself enough for change. It was for me, I just break a relationship recently that almost turns me to dull. But thank God that I quit on time.