Hey y’all!!! It’s Monday! You know what that means!!!
Another installment of #PPDChat on Twitter! YAY! *Throws confetti and rattles noisemaker*
Don’t mind me – it’s just been a crazy weekend and I haven’t had coffee yet but have already been out and about. I KNOW.
Speaking of crazy weekend, no coffee, already running errands (with lots more to do before the day is done), you better believe I am going to take slices of time here or there for myself. Sit down, read a bit of a book, play a game on my phone, maybe nap at some point (I hope so because WOW I AM TIRED), and I may even watch something on Netflix in addition to making sure I get a decent night’s sleep tonight even if I have to take Melatonin.
Self-care is what puts water in our pitchers so that we can keep the glasses of those around us filled. It’s important. It’s not something we put off until tomorrow. It’s something we work into our schedules, even if it’s fragmented. Lately, as busy as I have been, I have made sure to do my work then take a break and do something just for me (I’ve been binge watching Friday Night Lights). Then, I get up, and do something else that needs to be done, and then something else that is just for me.
One of my favourite exercises to have folks do when they’re not used to self-care is to have them sit down and make a list. Write down all 5 of your senses. Taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. Then, for every sense, write down five of your favourite things. Post this list somewhere and keep at least one thing from every sense in your home or near you/accessible at all times. This becomes your “emergency sanity” kit and BAM. Instant self-care.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of self-care because let’s face it, humans are complex and life can get crazy in the blink of an eye. But when it’s BUILT in to your daily routine via baby steps? Totally achievable. This is what the exercise in the previous paragraph does for you – it empowers you to build self-care into your life in tiny fragmented pieces. Sure, sometimes you need to just sit down and do nothing for a couple of hours but let’s face it, with little ones running around, that doesn’t happen very often. So fragmented self-care becomes our only option. It’s a heck of a lot better than none at all, wouldn’t you agree?
Tonight, join @story3girl on Twitter to chat about this very important topic. Explore your own habits, your needs, and maybe figure out how to get started mothering the post important person in your life – YOU.