We all need self care

September is wrapping up quickly! Even with gentle prompts and checkins from Amy, my lovely social media assistant, I just couldn’t get this post out as early as I planned.

So I guess it’s apt to be writing about self care this month. Sometimes you just need to give yourself space and grace when how things play out doesn’t meet your perfectionist desires.

September is Self Care Month, which means it’s a great time to talk about what self care truly is. Self care is so much more than getting a massage or taking a bubble bath (although those are great places to start). True self care is about loving yourself and prioritizing what YOU really need, even when it feels really hard to do so.

Yeah, it’s hard. I suspect that you are like me, and really care about what’s happening in the world and about the welfare of others. Where do YOU fit in when you have family (children, partners, parents, pets, all of the above) to care for, work to do, and the state of the world to think about? If you don’t take care of yourself, however, how can you be fully present and your best self with others?

Here are a few things you can do to help recharge, relax, or just feel better

Take a walk. Just take 10 minutes to walk around the block or down the street and back. It really does help to get some fresh air and clear your mind.

Take a nap if you need it. No more than 20 minutes. You’ll feel refreshed and be able to re-focus without messing with your sleep cycle. (DON’T mess with the sleep cycle!! I know this from experience.)

Have you heard about the 8-minute phone call? Call someone important to you and talk to them for eight minutes (be clear this is what you’re doing). You can cover a lot of ground in eight minutes. I know that I sometimes procrastinate getting in touch with people who I actually really care about because I put too much pressure on myself to have to do a long call or write a long catch-up email. Just reaching out in a small way is a win for both of you – you feel connected!

Do something you’ve never done before but have always wanted to (like stomping grapes!☝️). Go ahead and do the thing. Sign up and make it happen. It will feel great to honor your desires, and you’ll have fun!

Dress intentionally. You knew I’d mention that! It really makes a difference with how your day goes. How you dress impacts how you feel. If you’re tired or down, take extra care with your outfit. Choose a happy color or wear an accessory that brings you joy. It can turn everything around to feel good in your clothes.

How do you practice self care?

I’d love to hear how you take care of yourself too. We all have good ideas that others may have never considered. Hit reply and let me know – I’ll make a post for the socials of awesome self care ideas from my readers!