It's time to find freedom in your mind, body and mother-lovin' soul, and unlock the barriers that keep you from living a healthy, balanced life.
Welcome to the podcast, Unlocking Wellness! I'm Crystal McLain, Licensed Clinical Massage Therapist, Self-Care Coach, Artist, and creator of Crystal McLain Creative, and I'm exploring ways to create Self-Care Independence, because there's nothing more liberating than mind-body wellness.
So, in this introductory podcast I’m going to talk a bit about my theories for practical, and sustainable self-care practices.
So, anyone can google a bunch of different self-care routines, but unless your head and your heart are aligned with those actions, chances are, you’re not going to follow through with a sustainable self-care practice.
How we discover, maintain, and (dare I say it) enjoy truly authentic and therapeutic self-care is by using these things I’m calling The 5 Keys to Self-Care Independence.
SO, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT SELF CARE INDEPENDENCE IS
I don't know about you, but there came a time in my life when I grew tired of the ol' self-sabotage routine.
Dude, seriously, totally over it.
I was fed up being controlled by my fear-based lizard brain, and just completely done with holding myself back from doing the things I knew would make me healthier, happier, and live a more balanced life.
I was ready to rise above my bullshit and finally feel free in my own body. I was ready to love myself completely, live life healthfully, and be a self-care badass.
So, I created this thing I’m calling Self-Care Independence.
Self-Care Independence isn't just a random list of personal grooming tips or affirmations. And it's not a weight-loss program, a cleanse, or a fitness challenge.
Self-Care Independence is a set of skills used to confidently manage your meat suit, wrangle your mind, and create balance in your life like a boss.
So here's the deal...
All too often we approach "self-care" using tools that work for other people. But what I wanted to know was; what works for me?
Biologically speaking, we’re basically all the same. So that means fundamentally our needs are similar. But our conditioning, personalities, and abilities are all quite different.
That means what works for me, may not work for you
And if I’m honest, what works for me today, may not work tomorrow.
The way to create self care independence is to practice evolving five key things…
The first key is mindset
In short, a mindset is your attitude. It’s your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, ideologies, assumptions, and expectations. And it’s wicked important to have a growth mindset when it comes to, well, anything really. But when it comes to your wellness, holy shit, it’s the Holy Grail
There are two different types of mindsets that folks tend to hang out in; either fixed or growth (though sometimes we fade in and out of both).
A fixed mindset is more rigid and judgmental. It believes that a person is either good or bad at something, and it believes that one’s abilities, talents, and intelligence are fixed.
A growth mindset is just the opposite. It’s more flexible and understands that with effort a person can evolve their abilities. They believe in possibilities. They believe in their potential.
Which do you think is more helpful when navigating self-care?
Yeah, You betcha.
There are lots of ways to loosen up a fixed mindset, but they all boil down to one thing: Language.
Our brains are lumpy grey computers that work on algorithms. And our default settings are based on how we’ve been programmed. But, like any other computer, we have the ability to be reprogrammed. Switching up the narrative from self-limiting verbiage to something more positive and empowering will transform your algorithm, and set you up for growth.
At Crystal McLain Creative I provide resources that can help reprogram your algorithm. In fact, when folks sign up for my newsletter they actually get a free mindset makeover kit. …just sayin’…
The second key to creating self care independence is broadening your Awareness.
Understanding the basic science of the mind and body will help you understand more complicated things like thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
And because you're a WHOLE organism (meaning no part of you is independent from another), every physical and conceptual aspect of your identity actually plays a part in your wellbeing.
I believe body awareness is just as important as self-awareness.
Body awareness is being familiar with the parts and how they function, and tuning in to how your body feels.
The body is a great communicator, when you understand its language. And having a basic understanding of your meat suit will totally help you respond appropriately to its requests.
Self Awareness is the ability to see one’s self clearly. You understand who you are, and how other’s perceive you.
When you increase your self awareness, it’s easier to navigate your self-care because you know what your quirks are. You know how to play into your strengths, and you know when to call yourself out on your own bullshit. When you’re self-aware, you live a more authentic and fulfilling life. You build stronger relationships. You’re more creative and confident.
Awareness is a total win.
The third key is Direction.
Most of us float along in life just going through the daily motions. And for some folks, that’s working out just fine. But for others, they’re left feeling empty, depressed, anxious, bored, or stuck in some other groove they’d rather not be in. Having direction can change that.
Goal setting is a pretty magical thing for the human psyche. The brain likes to tick off boxes and feel accomplished. It does NOT, however, like to strive for impossibilities.
The trick is to set practical, and achievable goals that are authentic and interesting to you. The reasons WHY you’re working towards something in the first place MUST align with your core values and desires. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Getting really clear on your purpose will set your mental compass in the right direction.
The fourth key is Action.
My grandfather used to say, “wish in one hand and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first” Ah, Bampi…
Anyway, thinking about doing something is WAY different than actually DOING something. We spend an awful lot of time pondering our possibilities. We waste our time waiting for the “right time”. We weave a web of lies that keep us from taking the first steps towards living a healthier version our lives -whatever “healthier” means to you.
Taking action is scary. It makes things real. It opens up opportunity failure, judgement, and it holds you accountable. It feels safer to just stay where you are, to keep doing what you’re doing. But is it healthy? Is it rewarding? Does it bring you joy?
Taking action doesn’t mean you have to go all-in, or change everything in your life. In fact, it’s better (and not to mention, more sustainable) if you don’t. Action can be small, and subtle. You’re allowed to wade in the shallow end and get acclimated before exploring deeper waters. Action just means starting.
And that brings us to the fifth key, Support.
When we feel supported, we’re more likely to have higher levels of wellbeing. We feel less isolated, lost or anxious when navigating our wellness. And when we feel supported, it’s easier to stay motivated and held accountable towards our goals.
And that’s the real reason I created Crystal McLain Creative.
I'm providing resources that will teach people about their bodies, strengthen their consciousness, and provide self-care methods to explore. I offer insight and inspiration so they can make informed decisions about their bodies and confidently create their own rules for wellness.
It’s important to me that people don’t feel alone. I’m sharing my own experiences and inviting others to share their self-care journeys with me. Together, we’ll discover ways to unlock our barriers and create freedom in the mind, body and soul.
If you’d like to learn more about what I have to offer, you can visit crystalmclaincreative.com
And if you’d like to support my work, you can visit my PayPal.
I love you.
I appreciate you.
Thank you so much for being here.
I’ll see you soon.
- Oh, and by the way, I use Buzzsprout for my podcast hosting, and it literally could not be easier. Seriously, I have zero time for monkeying around with all the techy stuff, and Buzzsprout is a no-brainer. Plus, it automatically shares your podcast to all the major places folks like to listen. Double win. So, if you’re looking to start your own podcast, seriously, check out Buzzsprout. They’re awesome.
