I have been told countless times by countless people that I need to take care of me first. Can't pour from an empty cup, blah blah blah... you have all heard the speech.
I googled self care ideas and here are some of the items that came up:
- Read a book or a magazine.
- Sleep in on the weekend.
- Watch the clouds.
- Watch your favorite TV show or movie.
- Color, draw, or paint.
- Cocktail hour, enjoy some drinks.
- Have a pamper night.
- Retail Therapy.
- Spa Day.
- Order in Dinner - Don't worry about cooking.
- Bake your favorite dessert and then eat it. As much as you want.
This is how I used to think about self care too. I would buy myself a 44 oz soda after a hard day at work because I "deserved" it. I would sit down and watch TV, read or dink around on my phone for hours EVERY DAY while eating treats because I was tired and needed a break and I needed to love myself. Order in food a few times a week because cooking was just too much for me and I was overwhelmed and had the right to be taken care of by someone else.
This week, my mind has been shifting. The items listed above can be self care. But they are not what I think the core of self care should be for myself. My self care would look something like this:
- Taking time to get ready in the morning - My current mornings consist of me getting up and throwing on some clothing, making breakfast for my daughter and myself and going to work. Most days I throw my hair into a pony tail without even brushing it. I need to start spending some time and really caring for myself.
- Getting back into running so I can ran another half marathon- Even if this means getting up in the mornings and missing some sleep
- Eating healthy food - even when I only want snacks or take out - This means taking more time to grocery shop and cook meals
- Getting ready for bed - not just falling into bed exhausted
- Giving myself time and attention
- Working on my hobbies and bettering myself. (Even if it is HARD - like learning how to use my kiln!!)
- Quilting
- Pottery
- Reading
- Maybe something new!
And every once and a while, I can include something from the above list. But if my only self care is eating an entire pan of brownies after a hard day. Or buying myself new things every weekend. Or reading a book late every night, am I really taking care of myself? Or am I turning myself into a spoiled child??
Just something to think about.
