Self Care… We Hear About it A lot. Do We Know How to Define It?
Ok…I get it. Self care during the 11th month of a pandemic looks VERY different than at any other time in our lives. We hear the buzz words of ‘self care’ often, and you might conjure up images of soaking in a bath tub of lavender and epsom salt, while listening to relaxing music while sipping on a favorite beverage. And YES!! This is a great option for self care! But, self care can look very different, and can be individualized as well.
So, when I write these blogs I often take a moment to reflect on my process, my journey with Self Care. This morning, Tuesday morning, is the day I begin my day with yoga. I set aside (on my calendar in permanent marker :) ) Tuesday and Thursday mornings as my untouchable yoga practice days. I also incorporate meditation directly after the practice. But today…I noticed a few things. One, I woke up later than I had planned to. The snooze button just felt SO GOOD! This could have derailed my yoga plans, but instead of an hour long practice…I chose 30 min + a short meditation. I bent my plans a bit…yet it felt great to stay with it! I noticed as I was practicing though…I was “doing yoga”, not feeling, breathing, living my practice. I wasn’t fully present with myself. I noticed this, and smiled. Then gently chose to breathe and savor the movements my body was taking. How good it felt to stretch and bend and flow! Ah! Self Care! I felt the shift from the “task I had to do” to the movements my body was craving!!
I began to research the concept of Self Care…Here is what I found useful. Self Care is defined by, “a conscious act one takes in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s a multidimensional, multifaceted process of purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthy functioning and enhance well being, which helps us to build resilience toward life’s stressors” (Hello Pandemic!!!!). [verywellmind.com by Elizabeth Scott]
Imagine categorizing this into 5 elements of Self Care: Physical, Social, Mental, Spiritual, and Emotional. I also might add…reflect on this in terms of during a pandemic, and also creating a plan for post-COVID 19. Our self care can and should look differently during this crazy time. Want to reflect and create a plan for yourself? Here are some questions/prompts to begin:
Questions:
How much sleep am I getting? Do I feel rested in the morning? Could I set myself up in the evenings for better sleep? If so, what might that routine look like?
Am I choosing foods that fuel me? Are my food choices different during this pandemic? If so, why?
Am I moving my body? On a regular basis? Do I like the exercises that I’ve chosen? If not, what would I like to do? If you’re not moving…why not?
Are YOU taking charge of your health? If so, what is your priority during this pandemic? Chose just 1 if need be for now. It’s a start…and be gentle with yourself.
When you pause and sit for a moment, what bubbles up? What do you TRULY need at this time? Is it attainable? If not currently, is there a substitute that could fill in for the time being that would also be healthy choice for me?
Please note that I write this blog today as someone who has gained weight during this timeframe, has struggled with my mental health, missed hugging my loved ones, missed seeing friends face to face, and have sat with my grief and loss. This is NOT a practice I have “mastered” and therefore want to share. It’s a work in progress for me. :)
I know when I have truly tapped into Self Care when I find myself smiling for specific reasons or for no reason at all! I know that feeling will ebb and flow, wane and wax, and it it ‘my job’ to show up for myself and strive towards that feeling of ease in my life. No one else can do it for me. Just me….
How will you set yourself up to feel cared for by you? SELF-CARE!
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the process! Reach out if you need support. We are not in this alone…