When I look at all the things I enjoy doing, even the activities pre-babies- writing, shopping, going to the movies/out to eat, reading and spending time with girlfriends- when I am the most stressed- those are the very things that I DON'T do. Why is it that the things that provide stress relief and that time away- are the very things that get dropped? For me, writing especially provides a therapeutic purpose in my life and you want to know the last time I made a journal entry? It was 8-19-14. That was four weeks ago. I can make all the excuses in the world- work got busy, soccer started, school started, but that's all they are- excuses. I have found that IF something is important to us, we WILL make it a priority. I started working out late this winter and you know what- I made it a priority and have committed to working out at least once to every other day. In the past, I have made excuses about finding the time to work out but when I really committed to it and made it a priority, I didn't have any excuses NOT to do it.
I think the same should go for all the things that we know keep us going- that keep us sane on those insane days. The excuses of why we haven't gone on a date night or gone out with friends are just that- excuses. If we make something a priority- we WILL make time for it despite how busy things get.
Being in the mental health field a common term I hear is self care. In fact, Monday, I have a Compassion Fatigue Workshop that I am going to, where I am sure we will talk about the importance of self care. The importance of self care is so important to people in this field but I think it's important for EVERYBODY. I will admit, whenever I hear someone talk about self care, I groan a little inside and think Yea, yea, I need to take time for myself, yadda, yadda, yadda. Tell that to the four year old who is requesting a snack, the 18 month old who is wanting cuddles and the endless pile of laundry on the closet floor.
It sounds silly but sometimes to get our priorities back in check- we have to be a little more direct about where our time is going. If you keep a planner- SCHEDULE that self care time in! Again, I know it sounds silly to schedule time for yourself but trust me- sometimes that's the only way it's gonna get done! I have "scheduled" journal writing time every night before bed- just to jot my thoughts down for the day or reflect on anything that might keep me up during the night. So, what are YOUR favorite self care habits and how are you going to make those happen more frequently? Please share below! :)
