Are you remembering to take care of yourself?
Amidst all the need to set up structure, working from home, homeschooling, and supporting family through the emotional rollercoaster right now, we need to remember to take care of ourselves. It is a time to pause and create space for yourself and for others around us.
I know the term self care is overused. However, I feel it is something that I am just learning to do for myself. I suppose it is an evolution. An eternal work in progress. I am asking you to reflect on where you are this journey and see what could be next for you.
Tip #7 Prioritize Self Care
I am sure you have heard “Your cup needs to be full to be able to help others.” I totally agree with this but as a nurturing type, I tend to put others’ needs first. But again, this is not sustainable for long periods of time. Trust me, I have tried. Then I just burn out.
On reflecting on my self care journey, I have used my general contractor model as well. I have worked with a therapist for over 20 years on and off. I’ve had several and each one has helped in different ways given where I was at in my life. I have often said that therapy should be a requirement after high school graduation. It helps build self awareness and find connection with a neutral person that can help you see things the way they really are or see things from other people’s perspective.
I have learned about all different types of movement that interest me. Ballet, Hip-hop dance, Zumba, Crossfit and yoga are all ways that I have experimented with to help me release stress Any physical benefit is an added bonus. I have learned all different forms of meditation and currently enlist different things depending on where I am emotionally and how much time I have. I can use a 10 minute meditation from YouTube or engage in an hour long visualization from my yoga teacher. I have a variety of breathing practices that I try for a quick hit. Again, it may be just 5 mindful breaths or it could be a pranayama practice that I was taught during my yoga teacher training.
Creative outlets are also important for me. I try to have something going to help keep those creative juices flowing. I draw, doodle, paint, sew, cook, and make hats. Honestly, I realize that I don’t necessarily need to “stick” to a particular medium but that I do NEED to do something! If I go too long without a creative outlet, I feel stuck. I find creation a form of meditation. It helps me focus on something specific and gives me a break from the other demands.
A tool that I have used has been to do random check ins with myself to see how I am feeling to see what kind of break I need. If I do need one, I can do a quick meditation or perhaps I turn on some dance music and “dance it out” for a few songs. Maybe I pull out one of those meditative coloring books and just color away. Whatever I choose, I try not to judge if I’m doing it right or feel guilty that I should be focusing that time on something else. I try to remember that I am important and it is perfectly justified to take care of myself. And if you still feel a little guilty, think of it as modeling behavior for your family that they need to do the same for themselves.
