Make A Little Room For Self Care

Make a Little Room For Self Care :: nurturedmama.net

Make A Little Room For Self Care :: nurturedmama.net

This month I'm running the 21 Days to a Peaceful Holiday e-class. This is a sample of an email from that class that I thought would be useful to all of you as we hit the last stretch of the holiday countdown!

I think the term “self care” has become overladen. It has come to mean checking out entirely, walking away from responsibilities, turning it all over to someone else so that you can get a pedicure, take a bubble bath, or go on a girl’s weekend.

Really, who has time for all that? And what if you don’t actually like bubble baths?Self care doesn’t have to be big. It is a mindset. It is the choice to feed your soul first sometimes. It is the practice of noticing when your heart needs to be heard or your body needs some down time. It is choosing rest over the “shoulds.” It is saying “no” when something feels like too much. Or just when it would take away from something else that feels like a resounding “Yes!”

Self care, in December, for me, is essential. I bet it is for you, too.I realize it often feels impossible.It isn’t. Self care can be mini and still be effective.Here are 20 self-care mini missions. Pick one to do today.

1. Drink a glass of water.

2. Take a 20 minute nap.

3. Bundle up and take a walk around the block.

4. Make a cup of tea. Don’t multitask. Let the tea-making be a meditation. Drink it while it is still hot.

5. Eat some protein.

6. Do a stoop meditation (sneak out the door and it in the quiet of the front or back step for five minutes - alone!).

7. Write out a brain dump list and then walk away from it for at least 15 minutes.

8. Spend 15 minutes with your journal. Don’t let your pen stop moving.

9. Ask yourself “how can I make this more fun?”

10. Take a camera (or smart phone) and capture five beautiful things around you right now.

11. Ask someone for help.

12. Take a break for five minutes. Or 10. Do nothing. Do whatever feels most indulgent.

13. Take a hot shower. Or a bath. Use your favorite soap, or lotion, or body oil. Just because.

14. Get out of the holiday mindset (start planning your summer vacation, daydream about what you are doing in the spring, etc.)

15. Legs up the wall for five minutes.

16. Light a candle and take five long, deep breaths while watching it burn.

17. Put on some good music (it doesn’t have to be Christmas music!) and have a dance party.

18. Let something go.

19. Give yourself permission.

20. Ask yourself “how can I make this simpler?”

I'd love to hear from you. How is your holiday season going? What are you grateful for today?