Mental health & self care is moving forward. Yes things can change.
Changing the tools in our self-care tool kit.
For many years I have been talking about the importance and value of having a self-care toolkit. Tools and strategies for good physical and mental health. Focusing of course from experiences of dealing with years of workplace bullying and conflict. The toolkit is a positive and empowering way of finding a sense of peace and happiness no matter what might be happening in your life. Life can be stressful and especially if we are experiencing workplace bullying and other violence. The toolkit helps you survive and thrive.
They are some tools in my self-care toolkit that will remain there forever. The first one the love of baking and the second the love of fitness. Are these two connected? Not really, fitness is an excellent way to help dealing with stress and depression.
Over the years, each of us will add to our toolkit, as we experience new things, new adventures and new people. We want to grow in life, not settle.
Recently, I realized that I’m losing interest in some of the tools and hobbies.
This is an individual process that we go through in life. As we age, as we learn new adventures and experiences, what worked before is no longer giving us the same sense of fun, pleasure or satisfaction.
We can change the tools in our toolkit. And this is OK. It’s important to remember it’s OK to change the tools in what makes us happy. Loosing interest in one thing is not a sign of failure, but one of growth. Simply that your needs, physical or emotional, have changed.
See this as an opportunity for celebration, because those tools and hobbies you created in your self care toolkit that you are now losing interest in, have helped along the journey in getting you safely to this point in life.
Often we will see the toolkit is already filled up with other strategies, as we loose one, others seem to fill in the gap.
It’s a lifelong process, a lifelong journey of filling up your self-care toolkit and changing the tools and strategies as you move forward in life.
Self-care is about knowing what works for you in making your life happy, having a sense of peace and valuing your voice today and every day.