Time Out: A Guilt-Free Guide to Self Care
We hear this a lot. “It’s ok to not be ok.” And, I agree. It is totally ok to not be ok. I have a lot of “not ok” moments over here.
But sister, it’s not ok to stay there.
When we have a headache, we take something for it.
If we get a cut, we clean it and cover it with a bandage.
If we get a suspicious cough accompanied by a high fever, we schedule an appointment to go see our doctor (in today’s world, that means one “brain swab,” comin’ right up.)
My point is this…
As women, we do a pretty good job taking care of our bodies when something demands our immediate attention. But for self-care, we ignore the subtle signs that we need a time-out.
Why is this?
I will tell you why. We feel guilty taking the time or spending the money to do something for ourselves that, on the surface, doesn’t appear to be a real emergency or necessity.
Here is the problem with that...
Over time, your mental and emotional energy becomes depleted because you have been doing too much for too long without a freakin’ break.
You have your head down to the grindstone doing good and noble things (for everybody else), but you’re ignoring the insidious internal and external signs of burnout.
Sweet sister, sacrificing important things like properly fueling your body with nutritious food, exercising, time alone, relaxing, and socializing all under the guise of “I don’t have time… I’m just so busy” is adding weight to your emotional burden.
It’s not an explanation… it’s an excuse.
When you practice self-care, you are giving yourself an opportunity to step away and just breathe.
What most women don’t realize is that self-care is not just about them. When you are intentional about taking care of yourself, then you are also taking care of others.
But this isn’t going to just happen. You must do it on purpose. And by “on purpose,” I mean schedule it on the calendar like you do everything else for everybody else. It must become more than a habit, and it must be non-negotiable.
Here are a few little tricks that have helped me take back my time and protect my energy so I can settle into my sweet spot guilt-free.
START SPONTANEOUSLY
Start by taking baby steps toward your sweet spot. While scheduling time for self-care is a must, trying to maintain a rigid routine will only make you more stressed. Forcing yourself to relax is an oxymoron (kind of like iced coffee) – it’s stressful and it just doesn’t work.
TIME BLOCK
Have a plan. I know it sounds cliche’, but you can do anything when you make a plan. Sister, you know you just can’t hang out waiting for things to change on their own. You have to change them. Nothing changes if nothing changes, right? Block off time on your schedule to work on you and follow through.
START A JOURNAL OF GRATITUDE
Each day, think of three things you are thankful for and write them down. Heck, they can be as simple as the clothes on your back, a hot cup of coffee, or a full tank of gas. I’m telling you, when you make self-reflection a consistent part of your day, it will blow up your energy level like nobody’s business.
GET CREATIVE
Be creative about what you consider self-care. It doesn’t have to be any particular thing. It’s personal to you. Find those things that feed your soul… and do more of that. Whatever it is, claim the time or activity as your self-care and get it on your schedule. Picking things you know you love doing will help you consistently include self-care in your daily routine.
And that, sweet sister, is where it starts.
I have a sneaky suspicion you could use a little help coming up with some simple, guilt-free self-care ideas. I have generated a list of 101 Self-Care Tips that I would love to share with you. You can download my FREE eBook right here.
Here’s to more self-care and a happier you.
Merry Christmas, my friend.
