We talk a lot about self care in our blogs, posts, podcast, etc. We believe at WTIFF that self care is a huge contributor to our wellness. Self care looks different for everyone depending on our individual needs, and time.
This could even look differently on a day to day basis. I think sometimes because we are stretched so thin on a daily basis, that it is hard to find this time and it's hard to make is consistent, so we give up all together. Even if we only get that one 5 minutes on Monday, and don't have another moment to get it until Wednesday, it that still not better than none at all?
On the note of having the time, or lack there of, I would love to discuss the importance of this time and how we prioritize this time for ourselves.
We have heard the saying, "you can't pour from an empty cup." Whether this means someone helps you fill your cup, or you take the time to fill it yourself, it's important either way.
With this being said, what are some things you can do daily, or weekly to fill your cup?
For me, my "dream list" of self care looks a lot different than what I can actually achieve. For instance, I would love to floss, do teeth whitener, gua sha stone, dry brush, and put lotion on after every shower at night. Do a face mask, hair mask, and epsom salt bath weekly. Honestly, the list could go on.
Realistically, just taking the time to put lotion on after my shower is all that I can truly seem to accomplish lately. But friends, I am telling you, just this one simple thing that I have been consistent with has been a game changer for me. Just saying, "No! Everything else can wait! I am going to take the extra 3-5 minutes to put this lotion on!!" is more than putting lotion on. It is taking a stand, and prioritizing these minutes for myself. Showing myself and others that these few minutes are important to me. It is touching my body, and moisturizing places that need a little extra love, it's moving lymph fluid through my body, while I put lotion on I pray over myself or speak positive affirmations about my body. As you can see, just this one small act of self care is a huge deal for me.
Before, I would always get overwhelmed by my big list of self care and just completely opt out of all and any self care, just because I couldn't do it all. I still try to do the other things on my list, but I try not to let it bother me too much if I can't get to all of it. When I have any extra minutes to give to myself outside of putting lotion on, I will then move to something else small on my list.
Let's talk about how to get started with self care.
If you haven't caught on by now, I am a big pen and paper person. Grab a pen and pad, and write down things that you would consider to be self care. I would then number them of importance to you. (This way if you only get number 1 done every day, at least it's the most important thing to you and you did it! Which is worth celebrating!) Now, the other part of this gets a little tricky, for me at least. I may have some time to do my face mask, or hair mask, or take a hot bath... and instead of making myself do it, I lay on the couch and scroll through Instagram, then call is self care. HAHA! As we all know, that is the opposite of self care.
Even reading a book is more self care than scrolling social media.
Ultimately, I would like to develop more self control and discipline so that I feel like I can serve myself, so that I can better serve others. When I get better at this part, maybe I can share a blog about what has helped me! Until then, I would love to hear from you! What does self care look like for you? How do you accomplish self care? How did you develop the discipline to put yourself first (in a healthy way) when you'd rather just lay on the couch and watch a show, or scroll?
After all, we are all in this journey together and I am curious and open minded about other people manage and prioritize self care!
XOXO,
Mak
