“What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone...”
(lyrics by Hal David & music by Burt Bacharach)

Greetings, Friends –

Some of you may know that Backyard Beauty’s vision is to “Cultivate Joy Through Flowers, Art, & Self Care.” All of these things are interrelated to me yet they each also occupy a unique realm in my life. Backyard Beauty actually began as a vehicle for me to practice Self Care – to pursue a profession that brings me Joy while also aiming to support others in this pursuit. While I initially delved into the world of flowers, herbs, and their magic, I have also been learning heaps about the intricacies of emotional well being and its roots to our physical well being.

I am deeply honored to be a part of a team of co-authors who are creating the book, Empowered Self Care: Healing Body, Mind, & Soul for a Better World – set to be released in early February, 2021. What thrills me about the Empowered Self Care book is that it offers a spectrum of tools in one place. During this time of shelter-in-place, Aeriol Ascher is also bringing the authors together to share Self Care tips during quarantine. This speaker series similarly offers a spectrum of tools in one place, making it easier for an individual to more readily find what resonates with them & support them on their journey. If you are looking for ideas from which you can begin or add to your Self Care routine, feel free to check out these recordings on the Healing Body, Mind, & Soul Whole Self Care Podcast on Facebook.

I had the pleasure of participating in the Self Care Under Quarantine Speaker Summit today with 3 other co-authors and am sharing my Top 10 List of Ideas for Self Care below.

First, I’d like to define what Self Care means to me. Our ‘Self’ is multi-layered and complex & is typically separated into body, mind, & spirit. Our emotions act as the bridge between these three, so that when we tune in to our emotions we have the opportunity to better connect our body, mind, & spirit as a unified team.

Thus, Self Care to me, is primarily taking care of and being intentional with our thoughts and emotions. This is not easy! It requires choosing to drive our Selves in manual mode instead of automatic cruise control. It requires taking responsibility for the way we feel. Self Care is the daily practice of releasing thoughts that do not serve us and giving energy to those that do. This then becomes a practice of intentionally responding instead of reacting to our life experiences. We cannot control our life experiences, but the practice of choosing our thoughts helps us to be in control of our Self.

Secondly, I’d like to reinforce that there are as many Self Care tools and practices as there are people. It is a very individual thing and we each get to choose the practices that help our person to feel our best. You can’t get it wrong, you just have to figure out what works for you.

Top 10 Ideas for Self Care (Quarantine or Not)

1. Start the Day with Deliberate Thoughts As soon as you awaken in the morning, give yourself some moments of gratitude. Abraham-Hicks provides a great visual of our thoughts being like vehicles at the top of a steep hill. Which thoughts do you want to give more energy to, gain momentum, & take off in your day?
2. Get Outside Allow Yourself to Go With The Flow of the Weather – if it is nice outside, make it a priority to enjoy it.
3. Ask Yourself How You’re Feeling Each Day Allow yourself to unload your thoughts and feelings every day – don’t allow them to get pent up. Journal, call a friend, ask yourself while taking a shower… whatever works best for you… asking yourself how You are feeling can help You acknowledge emotions that are & aren’t serving you. This then supports you in releasing what doesn’t serve you & deliberately choosing the emotions that do.
4. Eat Foods That Support Your Body When you nourish your body with plant-based, unrefined foods, you send the message to your body that you care for IT and empower your body to better care for YOU.
5. Reach Out to Friends & Family Connecting during this time of social isolation helps to reinforce our shared experience & that we are not alone! It is helpful to know that we have the ability to serve others & ourselves even in isolation.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Enjoy This Time No other time has given us* the flexibility to dictate our schedules to this degree. Allow yourself to do something that fills your cup every day. *This does not necessarily apply to front line workers who are likely working more hours under more stressful conditions. This service is of utmost importance and requires our sincerest gratitude.
7. Teach Yourself or a Quarantine-Mate a New Skill Engage your brain in a new way, support your ability to keep your mind flexible.
8. Make Time to Honor the Things for Which You Are Grateful You can do this however you want. What is important is that you FEEL grateful & that you communicate this in some way. A multitude of scientific research demonstrates that focusing on things for which you are grateful helps to raise your frequency, improve immune system function, and improve overall well-being. And you are sending this energy out into the world which is particularly helpful at this time.  Cue the music below… Thank you Berkely College of Music students for this phenomenal rendition of What the World Needs Now.
9. Plant Seeds to Support your Body, Mind, & Spirit There is much up in the air at this time & there is no better time to plant seeds. Connecting to the process of growing seeds that become food helps to remind us of the gifts we receive every time we eat. You don’t even need access to dirt! You can sprout seeds in your kitchen with a mason jar & water!
10. Send Blessings to Every Human Being & Wish Them the Best It is not common for us to share an experience like this across the globe and it is a perfect reminder of how we are all connected at our most human level. When we send blessings to everyone, we raise our frequency in addition to raising the collective’s frequency.

I wish you all grace during this time of upheaval and encourage each of you to trust your inherent abilities to care for your Self and others.

Much love,
Megan