Self Care As A Means To Recharge

*Looks at self in mirror.* “Hello old friend.  It's been a while.  How easy it is to lose sight of the things that keep you feeling balanced and joyful. I’ve gotten so wrapped up in taking care of everyone else’s needs, that I’ve forgotten to take care of my own. Could I be any more depleted??” 

Sound familiar?  Before we let our cups runneth dry, let's take a few moments to get reacquainted with the things that help us recharge so we can function at peak level and kill it at this game we call life. As a Virgo, I’m a natural healer and nurturer. I really enjoy loving on others and living a heart-centered life. I’m also a recovering perfectionist, so when I put my mind to something I’m passionate about, I tend to be all in and can focus on nothing else but the task at hand. When you live your life in this way, it becomes more and more likely that you’ll eventually burn out. Your best is constantly changing and once you reach that point of energy depletion and exhaustion, you begin to put out poor quality work and get snippy with the ones you love. This is why incorporating a self care practice is so incredibly important to maintaining balance, both physically and emotionally.

While the new normal for most has us working from home, remember to set boundaries and time limits to ensure their is a healthy balance of work and play in our lives. For me, self care can look like small acts of nourishment and quality rest to ensure I don’t fall into any of the icky, aforementioned pitfalls. Nourishment can come in many forms. On one hand, eating balanced and nutritious meals, drinking plenty of water and remembering to take my daily supplements are nourishment for the body. From an emotional standpoint, a 5-10 minute meditation, yoga or a daily gratitude journal practice will nourish my mind and soul. An increasingly large number of people I’ve spoken to as a Coach, family member, and friend have knowingly admitted that the one thing that will help them feel balanced is a more consistent self care practice. However, most people still end up putting themselves last and rarely follow through with the things they say they want to do.

My challenge to you is to make a list of all the little things that help you re-charge. Then add to your list a few nourishing, yet time consuming things that you’ve been wanting to explore. It may serve you to create two separate columns: one for simple daily activities and one for the things that you can align to trying once a month. For me, in addition to the things that I mentioned about mind/body nourishment, this might look like the following:

• Epsom salt baths

• Hot and cold treatments for joint pain

• Stretching while working at the computer

• Being in nature

• Maintaining a consistent skincare routine (twice-a-day cleansing and moisturizing, face masks, gua sha use)

• Getting quality sleep (7-9 hours)

• Deep tissue massage and facial

• Acupuncture

• Salt float tank (90 minutes)

Now consider what are two-to-three small acts you can add to your everyday routine. Plan to incorporate those acts at the same time every day for the next 40 days. Why 40 days? The yogis say it takes 40 days to build a lasting habit. Write down why it’s important to you that you take proper care of yourself. Leave that reminder somewhere visible so you can reference it daily. Taking a break for a few minutes in the backyard or a quick phone call with a friend can go a long way to restoring your energy. After you’ve aligned yourself with your daily self care acts and your reason WHY, schedule a monthly reminder in your calendar to complete one of the more time-consuming acts of self care. Maybe it’s a hike or a spa day. It can even be as simple as taking a full day off from work to veg out and do nothing! Do the things that nourish your mind and body because it’s more important now then ever to take care of the most important person in your life - YOU!

If you’re interested in chatting about what’s most important to you so you can align yourself with your top health and well-being goals, let’s connect! Booking your Complementary Wellness Consultation can open up a new-found awareness and will give you the opportunity to see what it feels like to have more support in your life.