A client today reminded me that self-care is all well and good but if you are spending your time knitting and doing yoga instead of eating and sleeping, the knitting and the yoga will not do you much good.
Self-care has to start from basic needs and work up, out and along from there.
I have read so many conflicting articles on the amount of sleep a person needs I will not dare to pontificate about the “right” number of hours. I think it’s fair to say that five hours is likely not enough for most people and over twelve may be an indicator of a different problem, like depression or a thyroid issue for example.
Of course, you should eat in a healthy way. Some people get to a level of stress where they feel they cannot eat. This doesn’t mean they have an eating disorder in the classic sense but it can result in dangerous weight loss. When your body thinks you are in “starvation mode” it releases even more stress hormones to help you survive. If you can’t get a full meal down because of the stress lump in your throat, start with a meal supplement like Ensure. Nutrients will help you think more clearly and put you back in a place where more complex self-care is possible.
And then there is the tea. Don’t. Forget. The. Tea.