Let's Talk Self Care
Today I posted a note on Instagram about how life felt very sideways for me and my family throughout 2020. This year however, we have come out of that fog and turned things around and wow it’s scary looking back. I hope I never feel that way again but know that in reality, life will have it's ups and downs and we have no clue what the future holds for us. Meanwhile, many are still in a rut and feeling down. Mental health awareness is the KEY to our success of this downfall. We must keep the lines of communication open. We MUST help each other. Keep in touch with your family members. Check in on friends. Be there and be kind.
Through the dark times self care is the LAST thing on our minds but it’s crucial to our well being and pulling ourselves out of the most difficult situations. Here are a few tips to hopefully help…
Self care tip #1: Find your Zen. For my boys and husband, their zen is golf. For me, my zen is happiness in my boys and husband so if they are happy, I can be happy. When we moved to Florida the first stop was the golf course. It’s a sport that you can be socially distanced and you don’t have to spend all that money on a full round of golf, you can hit the driving range and bang out your blues with a golf club. Your zen may be squash or tennis or basketball…whatever it may be, if you have a favorite sport, find a way to play it. Even if it’s just taking a walk around the block. Get moving and get outside if you can!
Self care tip #2: Pamper yourself even if that means while you’re working. I recently stumbled upon a heat wrap while online shopping on Target’s website. I ordered it and it’s changed my life. I have found so many different ways to treat myself with this soft and cozy neck wrap that keeps me warm and instantly relaxes me when the heat hits my neck.
Self care tip #3: Organize a drawer or closet in your home. This may sound strange, but I feel a great sense of calm come over me when I organize something. I’m a pretty organized, actually a totally OCD person so my home is always neat and tidy however when I moved to Florida the one area in my home that was not organized was my bathroom. It was making me nuts. I worked with my friends at Order & Co. to do a complete makeover in my bathroom and now every morning and every night I find my daily routine to be so much smoother making for a much more relaxed kick off and end to each day.
Self care tip #4: Write your feelings in a note to someone who may be sharing your same state of mind…
I find sending snail mail makes me feel like a better person. It sparks joy in me knowing that a loved one will receive a card in the mail from me. It’s thoughtful, kind and compassionate…the key ingredients to positivity. It could be a friend or an Aunt. Whoever it is, ask how they are doing and tell them how you’re feeling. Trust me when I tell you it feels so good to WRITE.
Self care tip #5: Put on a calming playlist. This sounds like a no brainer but I used to pump tunes that I had heard a million times and it did nothing for my mood. After getting the kids back into a routine earlier this year, I signed up for a positive parenting course and it’s truly been life changing. I feel as though I’ve learned so much and my parenting style has improved greatly. In the course a couple of really amazing take aways were: STAY CALM. Put post it notes all over your home as reminders if you need to (which I did! My computer is now covered in post it notes that say: Positive vibes, Focus on the Good, STAY CALM…and it helps! I SWEAR!) AND put on a calming playlist. I’m always searching through Spotify for calm tunes and came across this Morning Rhythm playlist which is fantastic. It’s not too slow, the songs have great beats but it’s relaxing music that doesn’t get distracting while I’m working or cleaning, cooking, hanging with the kids, etc.
I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any others to share or just want to share your feelings, please feel safe and comfortable doing so in the comments here.