Congratulations! You just made a Conscious Self-Care choice.
Are you thinking, “What’s the big deal? I just clicked a button to read an article.”
And that’s the point. You did something; you made a choice. Whether it was conscious or not, it’s a step toward conscious self-care.
Are you someone who:
- Helps others before taking care of yourself?
- Feels there’s no time for you?
- Believes taking time for yourself is selfish?
- Wants to take care of everything yourself because you feel no one else can do it right?
- Thinks you have to go somewhere for self-care? (get a massage, yoga class, retreat weekend, etc.)
If you answered YES to any of these questions, then this 6-part, “Conscious Self-Care” blog series is for you! In each article, we’ll explore personal insights and action steps to unlock patterns of behavior that keep us from making conscious self-care choices.
To be honest, this series is not for the faint of heart; it’s not for those who want to find answers from someone else.
This series is for those who want to:
- Discover their own answers.
- Explore what motivates their choices.
- Awaken inner connections.
- Embrace the fullness of who they are.
Full disclosure: I am not certified in any particular field; what I do bring is over 30 years of deep spiritual practices, profound personal experiences, and a clarity of purpose to empower others to discover their own truths.
If you’re willing to look, I’m certain you’ll find the answers you seek, because you’re the only one who can.
I was curious to ask the questions above because I answered, “Yes” to each one of those questions until a breast cancer diagnosis gave me an excuse to finally take care of myself. Yes, it took a cancer diagnosis for me to slow down and remember how to love myself. It was during this journey to love that I realized self-care happens one conscious choice at a time. Unexpected life lessons created my path to conscious self-care, and I’m honored to share some of those life lessons with you in this series.
Not feeling worthy of self-care is often a deep subconscious belief that keeps us trapped in familiar patterns of caring for others before taking time to care for ourselves.
Below is an excerpt from my book, Loving Life…All of It – A Walk with Cancer, Compassion, and Consciousness:
Life Lesson 3:
It\’s Important to Take Time for Myself – Journal Entry: January 5, 2011
“Prior to my diagnosis, I really didn\’t take time to listen to my body, or love myself in the way I loved others. As a mother, wife, daughter, friend, colleague, and all the other roles I played, I always put everyone else before me. In the beginning my diagnosis was an “excuse” to begin reversing that pattern of putting others first. The “excuse” quickly transformed into conscious loving choices of self-care as I remembered that one of my main lessons during this journey was to learn how to receive love for myself. It started by my willingness to simply slow down and listen inside…
I asked myself, “Where did this pattern of putting other people first originate?” When I was 35 years old, I decided to find my birth mother. I knew there was a possibility of her not wanting to meet me, so I prepared myself for this possible rejection by working with various healing techniques to bring old patterns to my awareness. It was an eye-opening experience to realize how much of my outwardly loving actions were actually motivated from a place of fear. I was nice to everyone because on some deep unconscious level, I “didn’t want them to give me away.” My journal writings from 2009 brought deeper levels of this behavior to my awareness; my unconscious fear of being “rejected by my creator”; my feelings of unworthiness around my own birth; and my fears of abandonment. These unconscious cellular vibrational aspects within my body had been motivating my actions and choices for years. It was time to recognize the old patterns of behavior and choose more loving choices for myself; knowing and believing that I am worthy and deserving.
Quiet time for reflection:
- If you feel comfortable moving into this experience, close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose; hold for a few moments then exhale through your mouth slowly…repeat a few times.
- When you feel calm and relaxed, allow the word “WORTHY” to come forth from within you. How does this word feel to you?
- Now allow the phrase “It’s important to take time for myself” to come forth from within you. How does this phrase feel to you?
Take a few moments to write down any feelings, thoughts, insights, and connections that come to your awareness.”
We all have reasons for wanting to take care of ourselves.
Whatever your reason, something inside of you was ready to take a step, ready to read an article, ready to explore more possibilities, and ready for you to believe that you are worthy and deserving of conscious self-care.
Thank you for trusting yourself, clicking that button, and saying yes to taking time for you.
Until the next article, here are some “Conscious Self-Care Ideas” you can explore:
- Become aware of your breath – feel how your breath supports you.
- Focus on your exhale instead of your inhale – this helps release tension.
- Relax your tongue – this helps quiet your thoughts.
- Close your eyes – this helps release tension from too much focus and eye strain.
Remember: Self-care happens one conscious choice at a time. I look forward to walking this journey with you.
Loving Life… All of It,
-Amy
I invite you to grab your free download of “Conscious Self-Care Ideas & Book Chapter.”
Find great products and services for your well-being from members of The Wellness Universe!
Amy Camie is a spiritual harpist, inspirational speaker, recording artist, composer, Co-Initiator of The ORIGIN Method of Self-Discovery, and author of “Loving Life… All of It – A Walk with Cancer, Compassion, and Consciousness.” She loves empowering others through presentations and seminars on healing music, resonance, and conscious self-care.
