Self-care for the over-extended
Too busy to care for yourself?
Too busy to care for yourself?Many years ago, I had no self-care practice. I knew that I was not caring for myself. I knew the things that would support my health. I knew that I was not doing them because of my responsibilities to family, friends, and career got in the way. I kept wondering if there might be a way to keep my over-committed life and pursue my dreams, while also caring for my body-mind-spirit?
I got an answer:
Change.
If there is not time in life for self-care, then we must make it. To make time, we probably have to change. We have to stop over-committing. This might be a big change, it might be a small change, but it is a necessary change.
Self-Care – a couple of details:
- Thinking about self-care is not self-care.
- Imagining doing self-care is not self-care.
- Reading about self-care is not self-care.
Self-care is:
Engaging in lifestyle choices that you know support your happiness, vitality, and joy. That might be a movement class, certain ways of eating, a set amount of alone time each day, meditating, days off from work, writing, art, camping, etc.
I know that change is challenging.
You are worth all of your effort.
As I await my first knee replacement,another pending,I am aware of how much smarter my physiology is compared to my intellectual assessment. As I age I have had to learn to care for myself because I want to maximize my ability to function during so called disability.I agree that physical change is necessary to adapt to each situation.In another year I will be 70.This should freak me out but because I have learned to listen to my body’s wisdom and learned to really love myself,I take care of events as they happen with the knowledge I know how to heal myself.With the help of others I look forward to a long active peaceful life.I am calmer and and happier than I have ever been.As women we are not just learning new ways to live and love but we are also remembering how our foremothers have persevered.Cindy has been one of my best teachers since I was 47,when I went to massage school.We are lucky to have her.
Thank you Alicia.
Wishing you on-going love and wellbeing, and of course, many more fabulous adventures as your beautiful life continues to unfold.