Self-care Is Not A Luxury

I have to take care of myself to get anything done.

So, I originally wrote this last year.  But, it’s still relevant.

When I push myself too hard, I always crash.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  I can get a lot done without overdoing things.  I just have to remember that everything doesn’t have to get done right away.

This coming week, I’m heading into an intensive week of training.  I’m spending the week helping to train more yoga therapists.  It’s rewarding, but it can be tiring at the same time.

In preparation for this week, I took last Saturday afternoon to be in nature.  I found this 200 year old bridge & just thought it was a beautiful sight.

Now, I’m going to use this as a reminder to myself to take breaks.  Rest when I need it & laugh a lot because laughter makes everything better!

Read on for the reminder to take care of yourself too.

Self-care is a must!

I’ve spent the past week serving other people in one capacity or another.  It’s very fulfilling to do this.  I love to help people understand themselves, make changes in their lives, and just be comfortable with what is.  However, I’ve been working overtime for awhile now and last week was kind of a final straw.  I got reminded in a big way that I matter too in this equation called life.

After pushing and pushing to get so much done, I ended last week feeling excited but exhausted at the same time.  I went to sleep on Friday and would have slept through my Saturday meeting that was at 11 am if not for my husband making noises around the house.  As it was, I got up for my meeting and then as soon as it was over, I immediately went into hibernation mode.  I managed to make it to the move theater to watch a movie but that was my only other real accomplishment that day.

I was simply exhausted in mind, body and spirit because I had neglected to put myself in the equation of my day to day life.  I woke up that Saturday feeling a bit beaten and sore all over.  I wasn’t really sick but I knew that I would soon be so if I didn’t give myself a break.  So, I gave myself most of the weekend off.  I watched a movie, spent some time in nature, did as little as possible & reconnected with myself.

At the end of the weekend, I was still tired, but I wasn’t so exhausted.  My mind and spirit had recovered, but I knew that my body would take a bit longer to feel better.

Slow Down

So, I’ve taken a deliberately slower approach to this week.  A little extra sleep has helped and just a few less things to do has been a bonus.  I’m still getting things done, but I’m working at a slower pace.

As I write this, I’m sitting outside with my feet propped up.  I’m enjoying the sunshine and the birds singing in the background.  I’ve gotten some planning done this morning and I’ve moved forward with a project.  So, who says a slower pace has to be less productive?  I have to keep reminding myself of that thought.  A faster pace doesn’t get me to my goal sooner, but it will send me into a state of exhaustion a lot quicker.

If at first you don’t succeed, you’ll get taught the lesson again.

I keep getting taught the same lesson over and over again.  I do make forward progress in learning it, but I know that this particular lesson of taking care of myself as part of my life’s equation will have to be taught to me at least a few more times.  I am prone to pushing myself to get more done.  It’s really counterproductive because the more I push the faster I get to a point where I must rest.  So, taking a it slower approach still gets me to where I want to go.  I’m just not so exhausted when I get there.  I’ll keep being taught this lesson I’m sure.  Hopefully sooner rather than later, I’ll let it sink in and stay so that I don’t have to keep going in circles on this particular path in life.

I’d love to chat with you about how you can add a little self-care into your life.  Schedule a free 15 minute call with me & we’ll talk about how I can help.

It’s always amazing what making little tweaks in life can do for your overall life enjoyment.  Your bodies already have the knowledge of what tweaks you need to make in your life.  You just have to listen.  I’ll help you to begin to listen to your body so that you can make the changes that are right for you.