Are you refilling your tank?
Self-Care.
You’ve heard this word before, but you keep putting it off. How are you supposed to take care of yourself when you have to go to work, grocery shop, pick up the kids, clean the house, volunteer, go to a meeting, make dinner, pay the bills, have schoolwork to do. You have back to back appointments, and things on the to-do list. Self-care is the first thing to go. You’ve noticed that you’ve been sleeping in the same sheets for 2 weeks, you’ve run out of time to make a nice dinner so it’s take-out again, and you forgot to brush your teeth this morning. If this is you – it’s okay. I’ve been there too.
Excuses
“I just don’t have enough time”; “It would be selfish of me to put my needs before others”; “I can’t afford to get my nails done”; “I need to provide for my family”. You’ve all heard these excuses before – I know because I’ve used them myself. There is always something more important that you need to prioritize before allowing time to take care of yourself. But what if, by not prioritizing yourself and taking care of your needs, is actually causing you to feel drained, burnt-out, exhausted, and depleted? You end up becoming less productive because you feel so overwhelmed and you realize that you have been staring that the computer for the past two-hour and have accomplished nothing! What if the secret ingredient that you need to survive is simply doing a little self-care?
Are you refilling your tank?
Something to ask yourself is: how are you going to give out of your tank without refilling it up? What makes you laugh? What gives you energy? What hobbies have you been putting off? What do you do to relax? What if you gave yourself only 20 minutes a day to take care of yourself. Maybe this means reading a chapter of your favourite book before bed. Maybe this means watching an old episode of Friends on Netflix. 20 minutes can go a long ways.
By taking care of yourself, you will find yourself with more energy, motivation, and joy, while being more productive and being able to give more of yourself to your responsibilities and others around you.
40 ways to take care of yourself
Exercise
Go on a walk and breathe in the fresh air
Do something creative
Call an old friend
Paint your nails
Watch the game with some buddies
Go for ice cream
Have a candlelit bath
Pray
Look over old pictures and memories
Unplug – put away your electronics
Make your bed
Light a candle/diffuse essential oils
Write out 5 things you are grateful for that day
Go to the movies
Cook a meal you’ve been meaning to try
Declutter your closet
Yoga
Gym class
Create a list of dreams
Pamper yourself
Make a big breakfast
Write a friend a letter
Get a massage
Get 8 hours of sleep
Drink plenty of water
Garden
Stretch
Take a nap
Go for a hike
Call your family
Colour/draw
People Watch
Bake
Stargaze
Listen to a podcast
Journal
Listen to music
Meditate
Be kind to yourself
Self-care.
You are worth being cared for. It’s okay to prioritize yourself. You don’t have to feel guilty to put your needs before others. Say no when you have too much on your plate. Schedule some me-time in your week to pamper yourself, to take time away from the family, to get outside, to be present. Remove the distractions and simply be.
