The Ultimate Body-Care Cheat Sheet
At my last inpatient stay, I was taught about BACE. That stands for body care, accomplishments, connections, and enjoyment. The only thing I could think of to do for body care was exercise. I definitely was not there yet. The thought of exercising at that point was so overwhelming, there was just no way that was going to happen. This left me feeling like a complete failure that I couldn’t even take care of my body. Fortunately, I was still doing partial days in the program, so I asked for some help from my group. We brainstormed this list of ways to take care of your body (plus a few of my own that I have since added). You don’t have to over-complicate it the way I was.
Drink water
Make healthy food choices
Take a shower or bath
Brush your teeth
Change contact lenses
Put on make-up (if that makes you feel good)
Wash your face
Fix hair
Get hair done
Eat mindfully
Enjoy a cup of tea
Sit outside for a few minutes
Get 7-9 hours of sleep
Limit caffeine consumption
Do your nails
Get your nails done
Massage feet
Wear an outfit that makes you feel good
Dance to silly music
Meditate
Any exercise for any amount of time
Sing
Squeeze a stress ball
Laugh
Say positive affirmations
Tapping
Put on lotion
Practice visualization
Take a deep breath
Take your meds/vitamins as prescribed
There are many ways to take care of your body. This is just a list to get you started and is by no means an exhaustive list. Some take minimal effort. Some take a bit more effort. But, you are worth the effort. No amount of body care is too big or too small to count.
Wherever you are on your mental wellness journey, try one thing today to take care of yourself. Do one thing to make yourself feel a little better. Afterward, come back and let us know in the comments what you did to take care of yourself today.
Be well and much love.
Ganbatte!
Joni