It was because in those glorious free moments, the ones where I was at home, or without a task... I wasn't taking care of myself.
To be fair, there really was not time to get as organized as I needed to get. There just were not free weekends, days, or afternoons to overhaul our schedule, budget, or goals. And that couldn't be helped. And the small bit I was able to use calendars and to-do lists wasn't cutting it.
But looking back on those rare evenings at home or chunks of time here or there, I can see that spending that time on self care would have helped in the long run.
Some things I could have done:
- Read a book - a better escape than TV, because it feels so much more productive. & when you are working on a screen all day, not looking at a screen is important.
- Painted my nails - not a huge thing right? But it makes a big difference in how I feel.
- Said "no" - to overtime, to family or friend obligations... when there just wasn't time.
- Stayed home with KC more - because going out (even to Target) is not usually a good way to wind down when you're too busy.
- Yoga - Duh
- Cooked for fun - there wasn't time to meal plan, or be successful at meal planning... but I could have made cookies, or breakfast on a weekend morning.
- Slept - staying up so you can have fun after a stressful day is not the answer to actually having fun, and it's certainly not healthy.
- Wrote it down - talking to KC and others (and blogging!) about all of the stuff going on is certainly helpful, but sometimes physically writing it down is so much more cleansing.
- Cut myself some slack - I didn't realize until last week that I really was doing the best I could. There wasn't any way for me to be more successful at the things I felt I "should have been doing" (i.e., cleaning, cooking, seeing my family more, etc.). There just was not time. There would have been no way to reasonable "make the time" either.
- Go for more walks - nature, movement, all that jazz
- Play with our cats - pets relieve stress (when they aren't climbing the shower curtain)
- NOT had soda after lunch to stay awake - not healthy, not helping.
- Had a drink after work - I am not a drinker you guys, I don't think I have ever had more than 3 drinks in a day. I drink socially, from time to time. But while we were in Alaska for work (read: mega stress), I found that there can be a benefit to having a drink after a hard day. Drinking every night? No thanks. Drinking to excess? No thanks. But an occasional margarita or glass of Sangria? That can be helpful.
- Got a haircut - I legitimately have no idea when the last time I did this was.
- Listened to more music - When you are too busy to listen to music, that's probably when you need it the most.
- Cried - I didn't do this enough. I should have. Maybe I couldn't figure out what to cry about?
- Gone Out on Dates - we didn't really make a point to spend time together, just the two of us. Not as much as we needed to.
- Treated Myself - I don't know about you guys, but it's the same as with self care, I treat myself least.
- Took Care of my Environment - clearing clutter is good for the soul, and easy on the stress level.
- Eating Healthfully - we did ok at this, especially for how many meals we had to get out. But the better I eat, the better I feel.
- Use a Planner - you know that's bad...
- Identify My Goals - (or be excited about existing ones) goals are so important, especially when you are trying to feel more in control of your life, or have a sense of accomplishment.
From what I am gathering, self care is hard for many of us. Especially us ladies... so ...
I'm working on a list to share of ways to take care of yourself big & little. I would love to hear all of your ideas on taking care of yourself, and maybe even add them to my list! :)
I'm working on a list to share of ways to take care of yourself big & little. I would love to hear all of your ideas on taking care of yourself, and maybe even add them to my list! :)
Please share in the comments!!
August has been the greatest month of the year by far. A lot of it is because we haven't been busy, but also because I have been trying harder to take care of myself. I'm really excited for the rest of fall! :)
XO,
XO,
Alexandra
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