Just being a part of the DAMY Lean is practicing self-care. We’re so grateful that you have chosen to include us on your weight loss journey.

When challenges arise on a program like this fatigue happens and mistakes are guaranteed. This section is meant to help you recover from (and eventually prevent) these events and move on.

In this module you will be responsible for setting up your self care routine. Let’s get to the details.

First, why do we speak about self care so often and why have we included it as a module in this program? Looking back to the holistic approach and the foundational principles of the DAMY Lean you can see that we are obsessed with bringing balance to the body. To do that you need to be doing a series of easy, effective, healthy things on a day to day basis.

This section sets up that discipline for you.

Self care is important in the following circumstances and can be your mechanism of rebalancing if these are your key holistic imbalances.

Here’s where it really shines:

• Stress reduction
• Adequate sleep
• Mood balancing
• Energy restoring
• Improving decision making

Why do we need self care on this journey?

Aside from the positive physical effects when we actively participate in self care our relationships improve. When we are kinder to ourselves we are then more able to practice compassion for others and be patient when communication is tough or relationships have suffered.

Maintaining the basic principles of this program require a bit of discipline and therefore we have to be in a state of self care/self love at all times. This means being able to recognize why we are doing the things we are doing in each moment and caring for ourselves enough to make those choices that help us feel good (and are conducive to weight loss).

The basics of self care:

Self care simply means filling ourselves up first. This allows us to give freely.

Self care means doing something each day that helps us feel more like ourselves, challenges us to grow or is an act of healing for an imbalance we are dealing with.

It literally means taking care of yourself.

It is directing your attention back to your highest good and making sure you are filled up. It isn’t meant to take away from your family and loved ones. You will notice that when you give to yourself first you have more resources to support others.

Self care options:

We want to help you take your own self-care to the next level. In doing so it’s important to find out what is right for you.

Through this guide you can start to adopt things that help you feel good. Once you find them keep them up, do them daily, enjoy them and really take in all the benefits you get from them.

Now you may already be in a place where you know what helps you feel good and that’s great. If you are there already please continue that routine. Use that technique, that practice or that way of being to help keep your stress low, your body balanced and your choices proper.

If you don’t know what helps you feel good, what helps you be rested or what helps you be your best self check out the list below and find what works best for you.

Not every act of self-care is appropriate for every person. We have tried many things and we have found that certain things help us thrive and others contribute negatively to our wellbeing. You should feel good after your routine. It should be something that you notice right away.

Possible self care actions:

• Meditations
  • Guided
  • App – headspace, calm, insight timer, oak
• Gratitude – 3 mins of concentrated focused thought per day on something you are grateful for.
• Deep breathing – 5 min straight (4 square option in app – Oak)
• Epsom salt baths
• Reading uplifting material
• Stretching or yoga
• Skin care routine – body butter etc
• Walking, jogging, biking, etc

This list is not exclusive. Find what helps you feel good and do more of that.

How to actively participate in Self Care on the DAMY Lean:

Each day set aside a period of time appropriate to your schedule to take self care action. The time should be a minimum of 3 minutes but can be as long as an hour.

Choose an action from the list above or from your own personal experience. You do not have to do the same thing each day. The routine aspect of this module is important (so do this everyday) but what you do during your time isn’t so important.

Check in with yourself after a few weeks to make sure that you are getting benefit from the action you are taking. Fill yourself up and use that positive energy to live a healthy lifestyle, accomplish goals you are seeking to and feel good.

That is self care. Actively participating in your highest good physically, mentally and emotionally. This is something you can start today.

Let’s get to it.