Let’s Talk About Self-Care…
Sometimes we just forget. Life can get really crazy between work, keeping the house clean, and making sure the kids are fed. We almost forget about one of the most important things, yourself. It’s not selfish to take a break from the everyday circus we call life. Parenting can be hard so don’t forget to clock out and take care of yourself! Here are some of the best practices for keeping a calm and happy mind, body, and soul.
Let’s talk about self-care…
In this day and age where it is almost impossible to unplug and reboot, self-care is critical. As a mom to young boys and a therapist in private practice, this topic comes up often at work and with friends… what is the best type of self-care??? It’s actually pretty surprising. My go-to answers are taking a walk, bubble baths, a glass of wine, etc. those are all great! But they are fluffy and not strong at the core of self-care.
The top three BASIC self-care items are:
- Eating healthy
- Exercise
- Get enough sleep.
Pretty boring but if your body is struggling then so is your mind 😂
However, the NUMBER ONE self-care item is… drumroll… FINISH YOUR TO DO LIST. Haha, I laugh as I write this because my list often only seems to grow in length and never shrink. But upon closer examination, there are about ten items that have been on that list for about a year. Yes, you read that right, A YEAR. Why you ask? Because I don’t want to do them. They are tedious. Boring. Draining. Yet they hang over my head and every time I pull up that list I am reminded that they still look right there.
Imagine if those things were crossed off! What a feeling! It is difficult to even imagine, but what a sense of RELIEF to not have that hanging over our heads. I would feel wonderful, accomplished, and much more relaxed. I think I would even be able to enjoy that bubble bath that much more 😉
Written by Samantha Armstrong,
A Wife & Mother & Therapist