I got my butt kicked the other night by my sweet girlfriends. Basically I am not taking care of myself in the way that I should be. I have been overdoing it on the work front and sacrificing everything else.
My self care this time of year sucks! It is always so hard to make time for myself and my needs. The holidays are upon us and I know we are all rushing to fit everything in.
But, I’m ready to change this and take on the challenge of self care!
Problem:
I would venture to say that most of you are givers. You put everyone else’s needs above your own. You run through a cycle of over committing yourself until you reach the point of burn out. Perhaps you temporarily take care of yourself before you begin the whole cycle again. Or you get sick and are forced to slow down.
Those of us who fall into this category do not have a routine self care plan.
Sadly when this happens, all the those that we love will come up short. Those things that you never forget end up being forgotten. Your superhero status begins to wane and you can’t love or take care of anyone well.
And then the guilt and shame comes in. This is where I sit. I get so judgmental of myself for not only being able to spin 100 plates in the air, but knowing I am neglecting myself and not listening to my needs. I feed on the fear of failure.
This stems from not nourishing our body, mind, soul and spirit.
The Solution:
The good news is that we can shift this cycle of burnout and self judgment if we simply take the time to create a self care plan.
What is self care you may ask? This is when we listen to our personal needs. To nurture our soul. To connect with those we love and receive love. It means eating when we are hungry. Sleeping when we are tired. Taking care of our bodies. Being kind to ourselves.
What Self Care Looks Like:
My self care program:
- Staying authentic to who I am and not trying to live by other people’s standards
- Working out 3 times a week
- Drinking plenty of water
- Reading books that feed my soul and teach me how to love myself
- Applying my essential oils everyday
- Taking my supplements everyday
- Accepting help from others and delegating
- Engaging in a healing session of some kind once a week. Meditation, float tank, energy work, acupuncture, massage, yoga class etc
- Nourishing my body with green juice and smoothies daily
- Journaling
- Taking time out to spend with my husband and connect with him
- Making time for long conversation with friends
- Taking 2 days a week off, no work
What is it not:
- Over committing and over scheduling
- Hanging out with people that drain me
- Eating for efficiency and conveniency
- Not eating
- Numbing with food and work
- Staying up too late
- Having a harsher set of standards for myself than I have for others
Challenge:
In order to integrate a radical self care plan, we have to be intentional. Self care is something we learn, and relearn. We must make it a habit until it becomes routine.
For the next 45 days I challenge you to plan out and keep track of your self care.
Take this weekend to intentionally set a schedule of how you are going to give to yourself in small and big ways.
Challenge starts on Sunday November 17th.
I have created a Radical Self Care Weekly Planner for you to print out and post on your fridge or somewhere where you can see it. Take the time during the holiday season to actively nourish your soul and honor what your body is asking for. This could be as simple as drinking a glass of water and an lavish as scheduling a massage.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
No one is exempt from this, even though I feel like that all the time!
I hope you will join me in this challenge.
Let’s give ourselves the biggest gift we can give ourselves.
#selfcarechallenge
WHO’S WITH ME?
Comment below and commit to the challenge. Feel free to share how you are going to take care of yourself.
