The Self-Care Domino Effect
How choosing one focus area affects all the others
I saw an interesting question in a Facebook group from a woman who asked everyone to chime in on what they thought was most important in self care. She gave 4 choices and they were:
A) Exercise
B) Healthy Eating
C) Mindset
D) Daily Routine
There were over 100 responses and about one-third were A) Exercise, one-third were B) Healthy Eating and the rest were divided between C) Mindset and D) Daily Routine.
I wanted to choose all of the responses because I believe all of them are important, but if I were to choose one, it would have to be D) Daily Routine because it incorporates all of the above.
Here’s my reasoning: Your life is created by your daily choices, habits and routines. A self-care focused daily routine includes some form of exercise, healthy eating and constant mindset work. As I was answering the question, it occurred to me that a more accurate response would really be E) All of the above.
After thinking a little more about the question, though, I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone’s responses were perfect because a focus on any of those self care choices would lead to improvement in all the other areas.
Our decisions always create a domino effect.
What do I mean by that? Well, if a person decided to make exercise a priority it’s likely that:
They’ll fit exercise into their daily routine.
They’ll need to cultivate a mindset that says exercise is a priority.
They’ll need to eat healthy foods to have enough energy to follow through with their plans to exercise.
Do you see what I mean? All the boxes are checked!
Here’s another example: If healthy eating is a priority then:
Mindset work is key (just ask anyone who has tried to change their eating habits).
A daily routine is essential because eating is a daily activity.
A healthy mindset that leads to a healthier diet will lead to more energy which leads to, you guessed it, more activity (i.e., exercise!).
I believe that the foundation for all this change is mindset. How you think is everything and the magic key to living the life you truly want.
Mindset = Magic
Think about it…..If you do the mindset work and start to believe you are worth it, the following (and more!) will happen.
You will:
Have more positive thoughts
As you have more positive thoughts, you will be inspired to think more positively about yourself.
Thinking more positively about yourself, you will be more inspired to create a healthier lifestyle to support your dreams and deepest desires.
You will also be more connected to your body and know what it needs (i.e., healthier foods and exercise), and your sleep and relationships will improve.
Do you see the connections?
It starts with your mindset and it can start today, right where you are.
Are you ready to start this beautiful self care journey? Here’s some journal prompts to get you started:
What do you think is the most important part of self-care?
How does self-care affect your daily life?
What are your daily self-care habits? Why?
If you were to make one teeny, tiny change to your daily self-care, what would it be? Why?
How does your future self look after herself?
Engaging in daily self care will help you create your ideal life faster.
———
I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
Please check out The Journey Within podcast at:
What is stopping you from living your best life? Get out your journal and a pen and take the new quiz on my website to find out:
Are you interested in learning more about life change & mindset coaching from a mind/body perspective? Please email me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com for more information or to schedule a free introductory consultation to see if coaching is right for you. You can also visit my website coaching page.
"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
— Michelle Carney, East Galway, Ireland
You can access your free Find Your Inner Coach Guide including a guided visualization and journal prompts here:
If you’re interested in more inspiration and community around positive mindset, slow mindful yoga, meditation and mindful writing practices, come join our private Facebook group here: