Life This Week 18/2/019: Self Care, Share Your Story #1.


This week’s topic of self-care couldn’t have come at a better time because I’ve had a great run of things.  I’ve discovered massive cracks in the paintwork of my house (old houses are charming fragile beauties), had a car accident on the way to my first day in a new role at work and because bad things come in threes I’m preparing myself for the worst.

It’s so easy to take the obvious route when it comes to self-care, to do what the advertisers have been hinting at us to do from the moment we wake up and check our phones in the morning.  ‘You’re worth it so treat yourself to this food / drink / thing / experience…’.  And I guess they’re correct to a degree.

Getting all the things does make you feel a bit better for a while but what about self-care proper?  The kind of attention to oneself that leaves you with good feelings and energy long after the thrill of the get has evaporated?  That feeling that this too shall pass.  The ability to see the silver lining.  To still be able to have a laugh at the situation….

I’ve had a think as I’ve felt hard done by with all of the bad stuff that’s happened lately and here’s what I’ve come up with.  Just the thinking about them has made me smile.

Self-care to me is….

Getting some sun.  Safely, of course.  There’s something about those UV rays.  They warm, give my skin a golden glow and I swear they do uplifting things to my brain cells.

Attacking a large bowl (or two) of fresh fruit.  Fruit looks good, makes me good and if I half close my eyes, I could well be on a resort or sitting in the pointy end of a plane rather than at my kitchen table or work desk.  Winning on all fronts.

Watching the world go by.  Doing things in or near the water is a recurring theme in my self-care kit.

Trip planning.  Trips give me something to look forward to and also a happy deadline for all the things I need to do before I fly.  The planning itself is also a welcome distraction from the everyday.  Reading about the work stuff I need to prepare for the trip, planning the days off I have while away, getting a bit of background information on the cities I will be visiting.  Using different skills and different parts of my brain energizes me.

Taking a moment to ponder a quote.  This is a photo of my work calendar but the memes I find on Facebook and Instagram work just as well.  I will forever be a heavy volume user of social media and while I can’t deny it, I can control the content I scroll through and make that content good for my soul rather than a negative force towards it.

Walking down the road for coffee in my activewear after a run.  On repeat.

The sights, sounds and sensations of the early morning.  I’m a morning person and I find spending a bit of that time outdoors sets me up for the rest of the day.  I’m lucky to get the chance to be outdoors most mornings of the year and it’s a privilege I make the most of wherever I may be in the world.

Baking a tried and true recipe and baking it to share with others.

What does self-care mean to you?  Does it come from little things you can do most days or do you save it up for periodic use instead?



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