Do make time in your day to prioritize your own self-care? Unfortunately, too many of us don’t, as life is busy between work, kids, putting meals on the table, getting lunches made, laundry done, driving too and from sports practices and games, music recitals and more….
But do you find yourself feeling tired through the day, or even waking up feeling tired in the morning? This is incredibly common in today’s world, and when we are feeling drained, it is hard to get everything done….it all seems to take longer and use even more energy getting it done. Do you wish you could just plug yourself in for a quick re-charge like you do for your phone?
Well I’m here to let you know that you can, but it does require you creating new habits, just like you created a new habit of charging your phone, that day you bought your first cell phone!
First of all lets start with a mindset shift:
“Self-care is the most SELFLESS act, as it allows you to show up and give the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you!”
Think about that for a moment, are you giving your spouse, your kids, your employer or employees “the best of you” or are they getting what is “left of you?” I know it sounds crazy, but when we first make time to look after ourselves, we can actually function better through each and every day, as when we allow the body to calm, and lower our stress levels, we get better sleep, we wake feeling rested, we increase our resilience levels and we lower our overwhelm. In doing all of this, we can improve our focus and productivity, and get more done. Doing that saves time, and allows us to re-invest that time in looking after ME!!
The thing I hear most often is “I don’t have time”, but if you can just start with 15 minutes perhaps at lunch to sit and breathe, close your eyes, go for a walk outside, do some stretching, if you work at home, do some yoga, meditate, you will actually create more energy to get you through your afternoon and get more done. Then you have 15 more minutes at the end of your day to do this again, before having to deal with family dinner time, homework, bathtime, bedtime etc etc! As you continue to build this practice you will feel more rested when you wake up, so you can wake 15 minutes earlier and just have some quiet time to yourself to start your day, rather than having to jump straight into the reactive mode of what is going on for everyone else as you start your day. Before long you will be loving the benefits and will find more time in each day to just stop and allow your body and mind to have a break.
I schedule my time into my calendar, and that was a game changer for me, as then others couldn’t take that time away from me, as I blocked it first. It allowed me to be in control of my time, and if something came up then I could decide which was more important to me and re-schedule my self-care time if needed.
I have thrived as a result of learning this important lesson around self-care about 4 years ago! I wish someone had told me this when my girls were little, but it’s never too late to learn and that is why I created that mantra above for myself about self-care. My girls will still push my buttons, but I no longer react like I used to, because I’m not responding from a place of overwhelm and depletion when we are much quicker to fly off the handle. That in and of itself further allows me to be in a place of peace and calm as I go through my days. Sure I get stressed sometimes, but I’m not constantly living in a state of stress. I wake up feeling energized and excited about the new day ahead, and before I doing anything, I look after me, and get in an online gym work out or yoga class, or get out paddleboarding and I then enjoy a delicious nutrient dense smoothie as I start my work day.
I also used to think self-care activities cost money – you know things like spa treatments, or flowers or going out for lunch with girlfriends, but I’ve since learned they don’t have to!! There are so many things you can do that don’t cost anything, the requirement is simply that they bring you joy!!!
Here’s some to get you started:
- Go for walk in a local park or head into some nearby woods or trails on a hike.
- Go for a walk around the block, – just a change of scenery and fresh air can help calm your nervous system
- Head out for a bike ride.
- Stop and breathe – inhale for 5, hold for 5, exhale for 7, repeat 9 more times and notice how you feel
- Go outside on a sunny day and sit in the grass or on a rock, face up to the sun, and enjoy the benefits of fresh air, Vitamin D and your nervous system calming all at once.
- Read a book for pleasure (if it’s cold outside, wrap yourself in a blanket and sit in front of a fire)
- Enjoy a bath with 1 – 2 cups of epsom bath salts
- Do an online free yoga class or stretching.
- Medidate (use a free app such as Insight Timer to help you get started in your practice)
- Call a close friend or family member and catch up!
- Spend time in your garden.
- Curl up with your pet.
- Enjoy a meaningful conversation with your spouse.
- Ensure you get 7 – 9 hours of sleep each night – plan your bedtime around the time you need to be up in the morning!
- Create some new recipes full of nutrient dense ingredients and cut back on processed sugar and processed foods.
If you are concerned about your stress levels, sleep, dietary deficiencies, or have questions about improving / optimizing your health, please click the button below to book in for a complimentary 30 minutes session, so I can hear your story and guide your next steps.