Hello friend and welcome to the new Earth Shift podcast where we explore the power of empathy and connection.
I am your host Hélène Wouton and today we are going to talk about one of the most essential needs that we all have,
Nurturance.
Nurturance is the act of providing care and support for someone or something.
It's vital for our physical,
Emotional and spiritual well-being.
Without nurturance we can feel alone,
Unloved and unworthy.
We all need nurturance from others,
Especially when we are young.
We depend on our parents,
Caregivers and teachers to provide us with touch,
Affection and care.
These interactions help us develop a sense of security,
Trust and belonging.
But nurturance doesn't stop there.
As adults we also need to nurture ourselves.
In order to feel fulfilled and energized we need to take care of our bodies,
Our minds and our souls.
We need to do the things that make us happy,
That nourish us,
That inspire us.
Unfortunately many of us neglect our own nurturance.
We may be too busy,
Stressed or distracted to pay attention to our own needs.
We may put ourselves last and prioritize others demands over our own happiness.
We may feel guilty or selfish for taking time for ourselves.
This can have negative consequences for our well-being.
We may suffer from burnout,
Fatigue or illness.
We may feel unhappy,
Dissatisfied or resentful.
We may lose touch with our true selves and our purpose in life.
But there is hope.
We can nurture ourselves by reconnecting with our inner wisdom.
The inner wisdom is the part of us that knows what we need and what we want.
It is the part of us that guides us to our highest potential.
By listening to our inner wisdom we can nurture ourselves in healthy and positive ways.
We can give ourselves the love and care that we always deserved.
We can thrive and flourish.
In this episode I'm going to share with you some tips on how to nurture yourself and thrive.
These tips are based on my own experience and research on self-care and compassionate communication.
Compassionate communication,
Also called NVC,
Is a way of communicating that fosters empathy and connection.
It helps us understand ourselves and others better.
It also helps us express our needs and feelings in a respectful and honest way.
One of the core principles of compassionate communication is to identify our universal human needs.
These are the basic needs that we all share,
Such as love,
Safety,
Freedom or growth.
By recognizing our needs,
We can take responsibility for meeting them in ways that work for us and others.
Tip one,
Identify your need for nurturance.
One of the first steps to nurturing yourself is to identify your need for nurturance.
This is the need that drives you to seek care and support for yourself or others.
It's the need that makes you feel loved and valued.
To identify your need for nurturance,
You can ask yourself questions such as,
What does nurturance mean to me?
How do I know when my need for nurturance is met or unmet?
What are some examples of nurturing activities or behaviors that I enjoy or appreciate?
How often do I nurture myself or others?
Now,
Write down your answers in a journal or a notebook.
Be honest and compassionate with yourself.
There is no right or wrong answer,
Just listen to your intuition and your heart.
Tip number two,
Meet your need for nurturance.
Once you have identified your need for nurturance,
The next step is to meet it in healthy and positive ways.
This means taking action to nurture yourself and others in your daily life.
For example,
If you need more physical nurturance,
You can hug yourself or someone else,
Massage your feet or hands,
Take a warm bath or shower,
Or cuddle with a pet.
If you need more emotional nurturance,
You can journal your feelings,
Call a friend or a therapist,
Watch a funny or uplifting movie,
Or listen to soothing music.
If you need more mental nurturance,
You can read a book,
Learn something new,
Do a crossword puzzle,
Or meditate.
If you need more spiritual nurturance,
You can pray,
Chant,
Do yoga,
Reiki,
Qigong,
Or connect with nature.
The key is to find what works for you and what makes you feel nurtured.
You don't have to do everything at once.
You can start small and gradually build up your nurturance habits.
The important thing is to be consistent and intentional.
Tip number three.
Express your need for nurturance.
The final step to nurturing yourself is to express your need for nurturance to others.
This means communicating your needs and feelings in a respectful and honest way.
It also means asking for help or support when you need it.
To express your need for nurturance,
You can use the following formula.
When,
Formulate your observation.
I feel,
Formulate your feeling.
Because I need,
Formulate your need.
Would you be willing to,
Formulate your request.
Let's take a few examples.
When you hug me,
I feel loved.
Because I need affection,
Would you be willing to hug me more often?
When I don't hear from you for a long time,
I feel lonely.
Because I need connection,
Would you be willing to call me once a week?
Okay,
That was fun.
Let's do another one.
When I have a lot of work to do,
I feel overwhelmed.
Because I need balance,
Would you be willing to help me with some tasks?
So by expressing your need for nurturance,
You are inviting others to join you in meeting your needs.
You are also creating more empathy and connection in your relationships.
You are nurturing yourself and others.
That's all for today's episode.
I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new.
If you want to go deeper into this topic and experience more nurturing and healing,
I have a special meditation for you.
I have created a guided practice that will help you nurture yourself and thrive.
It's the perfect next step to this podcast episode.
If you want to try this meditation,
You can find it on my list under my profile,
Here on Insightimer.
The title is Nurturing Yourself,
A Path to Wholeness.
You can also find the link in the description of this podcast.
I hope you enjoyed this meditation and find it helpful for your personal growth and well-being.
Thank you for listening to this episode of the New Earth Shift Podcast.
