Self Care

Let’s talk about self care. Real self care. Not the bubble bath, walk in the woods self care. That's great, but sometimes you just don’t have time for all that. Sometimes, the dishes have to get done, the children need to be fed. The husband needs to be tended to. Sometimes, there just isn’t enough time to stop and breathe. Right?!

Most self care tips are all about adding something to your life. Lose yourself in nature. Meditate for 30 minutes. Do some yoga. Turn off your phone and sit quietly by yourself for an hour.

Those are great. If you have the time, awesome! Quit reading this blog and go do some of that! (The rest of us are going to keep reading and try desperately not to be jealous of you!)

Truth is, most of us don’t have the time. We’re frigging busy! And if self-care means adding one more thing to the already busting-at-the-seams to-do list... Well, guess what?! It’s not getting done,

So, let’s talk about self care that makes sense in the midst of the chaos.

Here are three quick self care tricks:

Gratefulness

I made 2017 my Year of Gratefulness and I posted something I was grateful for every day on Facebook. I’ll tell you what, gratefulness changes your perspective! I’m not saying you need to do spend a year posting stuff every day. But, I am saying this: taking a moment each day to name something you’re grateful for is incredibly powerful! How? It shifts your perspective. And when you shift your perspective, your world changes in almost magical ways. There’s a reason that all of the “how to be happy” lists start with being grateful.

Compassion – for Yourself

This is all your head, girlfriend. Listen to how you talk to yourself. Would you ever, in a million years, talk to anyone else that way? For most of us, no. We would never dream of telling our friends the things we tell ourselves. Try showing yourself some compassion. Screwed up that thing at work? Yelled at your kids when they really didn’t deserve it? Try this affirmation, “_____ (your name), it’s perfectly reasonable that you _____________ (whatever the thing is that you did) and that you feel __________ (how you feel about it). You’re doing the best you can with the tools that you have in the situation you find yourself in. You’re human, and that means you’re not perfect. And that’s OK.” Repeat this as many times as you need to throughout the day. Show yourself compassion.

Deep Breathing

This is honestly my favorite self care trick. It’s so incredibly simple. It doesn’t even require any real work on your part. You’re already breathing, just breathe a little more deeply. You can do this anywhere, at any time. Take a good deep breath. Let it out slowly. Do it again. Keep doing it and you’ll feel your body start to relax. You’ll feel your mind start to slow down. The chaos that defines your world will swirl around your head with a bit more order.

What are you doing today to care for yourself?  

Image: Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash