5/24/20
Today, as with most Sundays, I woke up ready to tackle five hundred things on my To-Do list. The goal is always the same: be as productive as possible, but also rest and restore, because #selfcare. This usually ends up with me creating this impossible set of goals around how I plan to take care of myself. Last Sunday, I woke up with the intention of cooking a delicious meal, cleaning my room, and taking a bath. By the time I sent out the Huddle, I had done none of those things, so I quickly went for a walk around the block, threw a load of laundry in, and spent an absurd amount of money on skincare. I felt like I was doing something wrong- why is this whole self-care thing so hard?
Enter: my new definition of self-care. Self-care- taking care of self- is not a “What,” but a “How.” It’s how we choose to listen to our inner selves as we go about our life. More simply put, self-care is a form of integrity. Glennon Doyle says that integrity is just that: an integration of the outer self and the inner Self, which happens when we act in alignment with what we need and want. We practice it by getting off auto-pilot, listening to our bodies, and acting in a way that supports our wholeness. This integration doesn’t involve any planning, tracking, or posting to Instagram. It doesn’t cost money, and it’s accessible to all of us. It can happen in subtle ways, at any given moment.
I don’t have a self-care journal, but if I did, here’s what I would write:
I practiced self-care today by noticing my back was hurting after sitting still on my couch for a while and taking a seat on the floor instead.* I practiced self-care yesterday by noticing a mini- pit in my stomach when I remembered I hadn’t spoken to my dad in a few days, so I picked up the phone and called him. I practiced self-care two days ago by feeling my heartbeat getting out of control, which meant my anxiety was creeping in, so I went outside for a power walk and some Vitamin D.
What would your self-care journal read like? Can you tweak the narrative, so that it starts to sound less like a Nicholas Sparks movie- all fireplaces and bubble baths- and more like a yoga class- “I felt x, so I did y?” We’re all doing little self-care integrations all the time, but maybe, in a time when we could use a little more gentleness, we can turn the volume up.
I say this all the time in class, because it’s true: you are precious cargo. Take care, and happy #selfcaresunday!**
*I am a huge proponent of floor-sitting. I’ve found it does wonders for my back, my joints, and my core. 10/10 would recommend it!
**Take that, Instagram.