I think about and talk to clients about self-care every day. And, it's still hard for me to remember how to do it in the moment. When I'm stuck in my head. When I'm feeling all the feels.
Instead of being frustrated by those strong emotions, which is how I used interact with them, now I try to see them as opportunities. This mindset isn't always available to me immediately. But after a few years of bringing more awareness to the way that I talk to myself and how I move through challenges, I'm starting to notice a difference.
The other day, I was feeling a lot of emotions. It was the day after a really beautiful but emotionally and energetically draining book ceremony to birth my first book, A Journey of Light, into the world. (Thank you so much for everyone who attended! It was so special to have you there!).
I had a huge headache - one of my signature signs that my body is trying to tell me something. In this case, it was: SLOW DOWN.
"I'm slowing down!" I told myself. "See? I took today off! I mean, I also got my winter tires off and drove two hours to/from a doctor's appointment and cleaned and did all sorts of things around the apartment. But I didn't work! That counts, right?"
Ahhh. Nope, it wasn't enough. Lying in bed, mad at myself and my pounding head, I remembered: Check in with yourself. What do you need right now?
The answer was there instantly. I needed to call one of my best friends and just chat. I needed to write a note to someone so the words would stop circling around in my head. And I needed to talk to my partner.
So I did. Doing the things I needed in that moment also involved a lot of crying and emotional release, which also needed to happen. And after each tiny little self-care action, I felt more and more like myself.
At peace. Able to enjoy the moment. Full of emotion, but not overwhelmed by it or trying to hold it back anymore.
And then I moved on with my day, and felt better the next day, and had more opportunities to stop and notice and take care of myself. The self-care cycle continued. The opportunities for learning continued. Life continued.
Wherever you are on your own self-care journey, take an opportunity today to slow down. Check in with yourself - what do you need?