Well, here we are again! It’s the 6th and time for another Self Care Day on the 6th (SCDOT6). With each passing month, I’m loving this routine more and more. While folks sometimes complain about being “stuck in a rut”, there’s something about routine and ritual that make something more likely to happen and that can actually deepen the experience.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating you avoid trying anything new! I’m simply suggesting that if you find things that work well to remind you to do your self-exams, make those doctors appointments, schedule your spa day, buy some yarn, take a nap, and otherwise nurture yourself, stick to them. New new new can be exhilarating, sure, but when we are talking self care, on some level, we are talking comfort.
Of course, if you don’t have a self care routine then the first time you try one out, it may not feel comfortable at all. You may feel guilty or unsure or silly or thrilled or hesitant. Pay attention to those feelings and spend a little time thinking about where they originated.
What are you feeling?
Are there any words that come with that feeling?
Are you hearing someone else’s voice telling you what you should be doing instead?
Whose voice is it?
How do you respond when you hear this message?
Can you change that response now that you are actually noticing the conversation you’re having?
What is your new response?
Now, how do you feel?
My self care routine includes reminders to light a candle, put on music, eat (yes, I have to remind myself to eat!), and to go outside. I actually write these things alongside the other items — homeschool lessons, contract items, bills to pay, grad school assignments, appointments, invoices to create — on my “Get To Do” list that I create by hand, on paper, each day. The reality is that lighting a candle is just as important to me as sending that invoice. Actually, it is probably more important. I can hire someone to create an invoice. I can’t outsource my own well being.
Like anything new, self care — and learning to feel great about self care — may take some practice. I’ve heard that it takes 10,000 hours to become a world-class master of a skill. So, if you work an hour of self care into your day, you should have this thing perfected by late in 2039. In the meantime, keep practicing those routines!
About Gina Lynette
Great self care thoughts, Gina! Especially this:
“The reality is that lighting a candle is just as important to me as sending that invoice. Actually, it is probably more important. I can hire someone to create an invoice. I can’t outsource my own well being.”
Don’t outsource your well-being!
Aw, thanks, Ned Andrew!
I’m hoping you’re thinking of ways to add some self care to your routine. You sure accomplish a whole lot — and are probably have world-class mastery of several areas — so, I’m thinking that you could ramp this self care thing up in an amazing way.