How do we really take care of ourselves? I don’t mean by taking time to sit on the couch after a long day, which, admittedly, I love to do. I mean how do we continually energize ourselves each day?
I can tell you that I’ve learned some of the things I need in order for things to run smoothly. I need an empty, un-scheduled, no-commitments, no-pressure day for life to just flow. One day each week that I can choose what to do or not to do without obligation. This day helps me breathe and prepare for the week. Life is less chaotic, more intention and feels better during weeks in which I’ve had my day.
Between being a dental hygienist, medium, actress, blogger, girlfriend, aunt, friend, mentor, and student, I stay pretty busy. With so many commitments, how do I keep going?! I like to prepare snacks and meals ahead of time so that I can grab my nutrition and go. Recently I’ve discovered that drinking enough water should be my main focus. Then I can add my healthy meal goals on top of that. If I don’t prepare stuff to grab and go, I either don’t eat or I eat poorly.. and nobody wants to see me Hangry…just ask my boyfriend. Preparing things I can grab works best for my mental and physical health.. and my relationship! Sometimes we will have breakfast and lunches prepped and plan on cooking for dinner each evening. Having a plan, and that day to prep makes all the difference in the world. As an added bonus, the prep time often becomes couples time. We each have our jobs. Maybe I’m making the quinoa while he’s cutting the peppers — but we are talking and connecting, and that feels good too.
A couple of other things that are helpful in taking care of yourself are sleep and exercise! Duh. We all know that need enough sleep to let your body recover and dream so you can feel refreshed. I like to stay up late and watch TV. I can say that it can cause me to be short on sleep and not feel like getting up in the morning and then I am running behind all day. That doesn’t feel good. So we decided to use our exercise time to watch some of our favorite shows. Not only are we getting a good workout in but we are watching the shows we like and allowing ourselves more restful sleep due to going to bed earlier and my body is ready to sleep after a good workout!
I really love my mornings of sitting with a cup of coffee or tea on the couch and focusing inward. I meditate, read, journal, and manifest. This is what feels good when I allow myself this time. This helps me to be mentally ready for the day, and with those meals ready to go, I can enjoy an even longer meditation or a cup of tea.
Taking care of you depends on what you need. It isn’t the same for everyone. Maybe you need a bubble bath to decompress or a glass of wine. Maybe you need to take a walk in nature to feel the beauty and feel grounded in the earth. Find what it is that you need and do it! Take one step today to focus on your needs without feeling guilty. You deserve to feel amazing! You are worth it!