Nurturing the Whole Self, Part III: Soul-Based Self-Care for Anxiety

Now that our minds and our bodies are all super cared for, let’s dive into part three — self-care for the ~soul~.

Nurturing the soul involves connecting with the world in a way that makes you feel like you. This doesn’t have to be a part of a spiritual or religious practice (though if it is for you, go for it!) — to me, this is more about finding what makes you light up and actively putting more of that into your life. Soul self-care is about fulfillment, connection, joy, and play!

This form of self-care is less about having the right armor to defend against anxiety and more about crafting the weapons to go on the offense. In these instances we’re not recovering from panic or soothing anxious thoughts — we’re actively populating our lives, our actions, and our minds with positive, value-driven content that leaves less room for anxiety to take root in the first place. When you prioritize activities and experiences that bring you happiness and fulfillment, the effects are powerful and wide-reaching. The key, then, is to give yourself the time and space to do so.

Creating Joy (Literally)

For me, soulful self-care almost always means “making” in some capacity. I’m a maker, I can’t help it. From quilts to bread (clearly, I was the kid with the Kirsten American Girl doll, not a cool Samantha girlie over here) to gardening to watercolor, I love to spend my free time doing things with my hands and, ideally, creating something beautiful.

And I find that so many fellow therapists and other high-achieving women are the same. In so much of our lives we are walking brains — we think, we talk, we brainstorm, we write, we strategize. We spend our days in our heads, and getting to work with our hands is so viscerally satisfying it almost feels healing.

Crafts and hobbies aren’t the only way to go, though. I think solo self-care is incredibly important because we want to make sure you have access to your self-care even when conditions aren’t perfect, so needing another person there might not be the best go-to. But really the options are endless. Traveling to new places, spending quality time with friends and loved ones, digging deeper into self-understanding through journaling, and actively seeking wonder and awe are all ways to engage with soulful self-care if they feel like they fit with your own particular values.

Soul Self-Care For Anxiety

So how do we start self-care for the soul? If you already know what this is for you, you’re ahead of the game. Just add more bits of whatever-it-is to your calendar and be absolutely ruthless in defending this time for yourself. Bonus points if you can give it more (literal) space in your life — leave your guitar out of its case and rest it on a stand instead; keep your yoga mat out 24/7; make a little art corner at your desk for your pencils and sketchbook. Your future self will thank you for making this easier for her.

If you’re feeling a little lost on how to care for your soul in this way, start with these questions: what are psychologically hungry for? (Give this podcast episode a listen to get more info here.) What did you do for fun as a kid? What are your strengths, and how might these translate into an activity? What would you do if you felt rested and had no to-do list and could choose anything? What do you stop yourself from trying because it seems like a little too much to take on?

Let Your Anxiety Know You’re The One In Charge

Please know that this isn’t about perfection. You don’t have to find the perfect hobby or the perfect way to connect with your friends, or the perfect workout, or the perfect anything. And even if you did, the perfect whatever wouldn’t be a perfect cure for your anxiety. Instead, what we’re looking for is a way to let anxiety know you’re the one who’s in charge here. Despite the fact that the mean anxiety voice is adding to your imposter syndrome or making you dread the day (or the decade) ahead, YOU are the one calling the shots.

When you are building a self-care practice for anxiety it’s vital that you are adding experiences to your life that simply make you feel good. The experience of anxiety can be incredibly reductive. Anxiety wants you to make your life smaller and smaller and smaller, to fit yourself into the tiniest “safe” space, and never try anything new. It wants you to be absolutely perfect at only a few things and then never take any further risks.

To combat anxiety, I want you to make your life BIGGER in ways that absolutely delight you! Take on some soulful self-care, add it to self-care for the body and the mind, and you’ve got a trifecta that can really carry you between therapy for anxiety sessions with your fab anxiety therapist.

Begin Managing Your Anxiety With Therapy for Anxiety in New Orleans, LA

As a professional, high-achieving woman seeking therapy for anxiety, visualize yourself stepping into the therapist's office with a sense of courage and determination, ready to confront and overcome your anxiety symptoms. Embrace each session with Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D. as a transformative journey, where you delve deep into your emotions and experiences, gaining valuable insights and coping strategies tailored to your unique needs. You will emerge stronger, more resilient, and empowered to thrive in both your personal and professional life. Follow these three simple steps to get started:

1. Contact Rebcca AE Smith, PhD. to schedule an appointment

2. Begin meeting with skilled anxiety therapist, Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D.

3. Start healing from your anxiety and prioritize your soul based self-care!

Other Services Offered With Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D.

Are you a millennial struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, life transitions, and more? With Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D., I can help you work through your struggles or challenges to begin managing and coping with your symptoms in healthy ways. So in addition to helping you with your anxiety symptoms through meditation and Therapy for Anxiety, I also provide Therapy for Women for those who struggle with burnout, stress, work-life balance, navigating relationships, and more! As well as Therapy for Perfectionism for those struggling to overcome their symptoms and stress of feeling perfect all the time. At my practice, I provide online services for those in Louisiana and Virginia. For more about me check out my About Me page and Blog!