Self Care...

Anyone who has been a client of mine knows that I can harp on about self care, and anyone who knows me personally on any intimate level, knows this is has historically been a struggle street for me.

I often get asked by friends, clients and colleagues what I do for self care, so I thought about compiling a list of what I do. What I do. Not what you should do, not a comprehensive list, not something I execute perfectly, or even as often as I wish, but these are some of my go-tos.

Please note! I am an introvert, occasionally leaning towards ambivert… but definitely have strong introvert tendencies. You will notice that pattern emerging in this list, so all the extroverts out there, please feel free to comment with more extrovert-oriented ideas!
 
Listen to music
Take a walk
Listen to podcasts by nurturing people/people I admire
Make a chai tea
Be in nature
Say a lovingkindness prayer
Give my husband a hug
Have mindful moments
Talk to my therapist
Set healthy boundaries on my thoughts
Set healthy boundaries with others
Ditch toxic people
Eat healthy, but also have some treats
Minimise my alcohol consumption
Contemplate and bring to my awareness my core values
Get sunshine on my face and limbs
Shower in the dark
Say no
Say yes
Say “I’ll get back to you”
Buy myself flowers
Spend time on my own
Draw a flower or leaf (as detailed as possible)
Call someone from my cheer squad
Cuddle my dog
Tick something on my list that is an easy win
Stretch/do a short yoga session
Turn off my phone after work
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep
Don’t sleep with my phone near my bed
Unfollow people that make me self loathe, covet, or criticize
Limit my screen time
Check that my body, intuition, values and behaviour are lined up
Listen to people who are smarter/wiser/more experienced than me, especially ones who love me
Do a Tony Robbins power meditation
Watch something funny/silly
Do a wheel of awareness meditation with Dan Siegel
Order healthy meals for the week to take a break from cooking

Photo by Ayaneshu Bhardwaj on Unsplash