Motivational Monday: The Great Self-Care Experiment

The Great Self Care Experiment of 2018

Let me preface this post by saying I am not that girl. You know the one (hell, maybe you are the one). The one who buys only organic and goes to the gym EVERY day in January only to fall off the wagon by February 1st. I don't do resolutions. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have goals. But when we call them “resolutions," they eventually start to feel unattainable. Or even worse, like we're total losers if we don't accomplish them.
Most people make their plans for their New Year’s Resolutions with concrete steps like these:

Resolution: Lose Weight

Plan:

1. Go to the gym EVERY DAY
          2. eat zero carbs
          3. Drink a gallon of water a day

Until some disgusting stomach bug works it’s way through the entire house. More than once. Or money gets tight. Or someone close to us becomes seriously ill. Or we just don’t feel like it one day.  Then the next. Then the next.  AND then we stop making progress.

I prefer to think of each step as an “experiment.” That way if one way doesn't work, I try something else.
Which brings me to the actual topic of this post...

The Great Self Care Experiment of 2018

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”

We live in a world where taking care of oneself is considered selfish, especially if you have a family to keep happy. But think about it: if you are unhappy, how can you keep them happy?  Think about the last time you got seriously sick with the flu or some other ghastly illness.  How much positive energy could you really devote to work and family if you felt terrible?

I have suffered with anxiety for as long as I can remember. Even in elementary school I never dealt well with stress, missing out on school because of crippling psychosomatic stomach pains. Now that I'm a mommy, my anxiety sometimes manifests itself in verbal outbursts of sadness, anger and frustration. 

So one of my “experiments” this year was to take better care of my body, mind, and soul.
I grabbed a cheap whiteboard and wrote myself a checklist of things I should do every day to make sure I’m taking care of myself.

I also looked up some self care habits and wrote them down on little slips of paper. I bought some magnetic containers from the Dollar Tree and labeled them “Workouts” (the rest of the “body” stuff is on the checklist) “Mind” and “Spirit.” I pick one from each container before I go to bed so I have my activities planned out for the following day.

In the “Mind” container I have written down things that are meant to challenge my mind, such as:

-Work on creative writing
-Do a word puzzle
-Watch Jeopardy

In the “soul” container I have written down things that are going to make me chill out or generally just put me in a good mood. These are things such as:

-Give myself a pedicure
-Do a face mask
-Binge YouTube
-Watch a funny movie
-Turn up the tunes and sing

I also make a point of posting a motivational quote on my bedroom wall every day just to make sure I stay on track.

Are there any special ways you practice self care? If you aren’t taking a few minutes every day to take care of yourself, promise me you’ll start, okay? Do something every day that makes you feel like you and not just “wife” or “mommy” or “overworked employee.” Because you are worth it, and you deserve to be happy. And when you’re happy, everyone around you feels the good vibes, too.

Until next time!