#134 The Importance of Self C.A.R.E. with Dr. Doni

In today’s podcast we talk about self-care and what it is like to go on a retreat.

 

So what is self-care? 

 

We have been taught that self-care is just related to a set of essential daily activities like showering, brushing our teeth, eating, resting, and getting some sleep. To me true self-care is so much more than that.  

 

It is about doing the activities that help you experience the essence of taking care of yourself, which involve self-compassion and self-prioritization of your time and your resources to do not only what you want but what is beneficial to your health. To understand what we can do to take better care of ourselves.

 

The only person we can depend on for our health and our wellness is ourselves. If we do not take good care of ourselves then we will not be able to take care of others. 

 

There are many other aspects of taking good and true care of ourselves beyond covering our essential needs of food, water, and shelter, and these can really change our physical and mental health which leads to living longer and healthier lives.

 

These activities need to be more than just left for holidays or vacations. We need to change our lives and incorporate them into our daily routines if we want to be healthier and happier.

 

This is not something we're going to achieve on day one. It takes time and a lot of trial and error. And the goal is not to be perfect at it either. This is not about being perfect, this is about being human and listening to our bodies.

 

In my new book “Master Your Stress Reset Your Health” (https://doctordoni.com/master-your-stress/) there's a whole section where I talk about self-care (SelfC.A.R.E.) and hundreds of research studies that show its benefits.

 

I also created a SelfC.A.R.E. Notebook (https://doctordoni.com/product/drdoni-notebook/) that will help you journal about your experience of implementing a self-care routine and learning along the way how to fine tune it for your specific lifestyle.

 

Our SelfC.A.R.E. is as unique as our stress type. Our stress type is the pattern that our body falls into when we're under constant stress. When we're under constant stress our cortisol and adrenaline levels are not optimal so we are at higher risk of health issues like heart attacks, cancer, dementia, autoimmunity issues, etc. 

 

To find out what your unique stress type is, and what you can do about it you can do the stress type quiz in my book or on my website: (https://doctordoni.com/quiz/stress-quiz/). 

After knowing which stress type you have, then I can suggest the right supplements and herbs that will help you optimize your cortisol and adrenaline levels. 

 

You can also order my home test to measure your cortisol and adrenaline levels, so you know exactly where you stand. Get it here: (https://doctordoni.com/product/assess-your-stress-type/).

 

My SelfC.A.R.E. Protocol is the right place to start creating these small changes to your daily routine, so you can really start taking care of yourself, again, based always on your stress type.

 

The C is for Clean eating. This can be even just avoiding foods that are more stressful to our bodies like processed foods. Choosing Whole Foods, avoiding pesticides and eating organic foods, avoiding things like sugar, dairy or gluten is a good way to start eating clean.

 

You can also do my complete food sensitivity test from the comfort of your home. This will let you know exactly which foods your body doesn’t like so you can fine tune your diet: (https://doctordoni.com/product/igg-iga-food-sensitivity-home-testing/)

 

A stands for Adequate sleep. Most of us do not get enough sleep and rest hours in any given day. It is important to know that sleep is when our bodies recover and undergo repair in our systems, like hormone resets, muscle recovery, etc. We need to find the root cause of our lack of good sleep so we can address it.

 

R is for Recovery activities. This can be just taking a break to have some quiet time to yourself or spending some time in nature or taking a short walk. It could be spending time with pets or your loved ones. Listening to music, dancing, playing an instrument, doing meditation or yoga and even substances like psychedelics, all help our bodies recover from stress.

 

The E stands for Exercise. Exercise is essential for our bodies. Even 15-20 minutes a day is enough for us to start feeling the change in our bodies. It’s just a matter of choosing the right activity and time of day to perform it according to your stress type. Consistency is key here. 

 

Now let’s talk about what it is like to go on a retreat. This could be considered as taking a break or doing recovery activities which is essential for our nervous system.

 

A retreat could last for however long fits in your schedule. It could be a one day, 10 days or even a month retreat. The difference from a vacation is that the focus is on ourselves. It's about self discovery and self reflection. It could be a yoga or meditation retreat. It could be a retreat that involves spending time in nature. It could also be a retreat where self-care involves taking psychedelics like Ayahuasca to help us heal from past experiences. You might combine diet changes with sleep and stress recovery activities as well as a psychedelic experience at the same time. 

 

Usually, a retreat might also include music and journaling or maybe artwork like painting so you're doing things that are all about helping you to have a break from your daily life. To have time to reflect on your goals and your values and the things you've experienced throughout your life. To be able to process them in a supportive environment without any distractions and without any devices like phones or computers and definitely without any deadlines.

 

It's all about focusing on you and just being able to relax and being in the moment and learn from the experience.

 

You can find many different types of retreats out there. I would be more than happy to share some of the retreats that I know of and could work for you. 

 

I have also created an online retreat that is called the Seven Day Self C.A.R.E. Stress Reset, where I guide you on how to apply small changes to your life and implement C.A.R.E. You can even do it from home or on a holiday weekend. I hope you all can join me and we can work on your Self C.A.R.E. together. You can find more about it here: (https://drdoni.lpages.co/the-7-day-self-care-reset/)

 

I think during the pandemic we were kind of teaching ourselves that home was the safest place on earth, but now that it’s over we need to reteach ourselves that there are safe ways to be around other people, to travel, to do the things we love because self-isolation is not good for our health, we are social beings that need to interact with others and our surroundings.

 

In the end it’s always about balance. A balance of activities, a balance of experiences, a balance of exposures and a balance of our stress. It’s about managing our stress type and getting to a level that is optimal for us and aligned with our values and our purpose. 

 

It's not easy to achieve a balance but I do believe that's the goal. The goal is to practice Self C.A.R.E. and practice being ourselves, choosing what we love to do, communicating with others about it and learning each day how to be better for ourselves and for others. 

 

If I can be of more assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to me to set up a one-on-one appointment if you prefer: https://doctordoni.com/work-with-me/ 

 

You can also check out my most recent Masterclass: Transform Your Life: Get to the Root of Anxiety and Depression: 

https://doctordoni.com/transformanxiety/#blank-1 

 

We're here to help you!

 

Connect with Dr. Doni: 

 

Facebook HTTPS://FACEBOOK.COM/DRDONIWILSON  

Instagram HTTPS://INSTAGRAM.COM/DRDONIWILSON  

YouTube HTTPS://YOUTUBE.COM/USER/DONIWILSONND  

Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/WWW  

 

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Books and Resources: 

 

Order My New Book: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Your-Stress-Reset-Health/dp/1953295576

 

Stress Warrior Book (FREE) 

HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/STRESSWARRIOR   

 

Stress Warrior Stress Resiliency Facebook Group (FREE) 

HTTPS://FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/STRESSWARRIOR  

 

7-day Stress Reset (FREE) 

HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/STRESS-RESET  

 

HPV & Cervical Dysplasia Guide (FREE) 

HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/HPV-AND-CERVICAL-DYSPLASIA-GUIDE/  

 

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Personalized Solutions: 

 

If you’d like to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one for your health, request a Health Breakthrough Session: HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/BREAKTHROUGH  

 

To get an idea of more comprehensive options, read about Dr. Doni’s Signature Consultation Programs: HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/SERVICES

 

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.