How often do you take a step back from the crazy everyday life that most of us live in? I don’t mean taking 2 minutes away from the computer or your phone, but actually having a day where you can disconnect from the world and focus on YOU and what YOU need? Yes, it can be a lot easier said than done. We can sit here all we want and talk about needing a day to take a step back, but it’s when we act upon those words that we start helping ourselves. Before we start planning a whole YOU day, let's squash the “myths” or the “don'ts” of self care and why they don’t make sense.
Myth 1: The Dollar
There are a ton of misconceptions about self care needing to be a time where you indulge with spending loads of money. Absolutely not. Yes, there are days where we want to go out, go shopping, get your nails and hair done, go out to eat, etc. and if that’s what you want to do, go for it! Live your best life! But seriously, you don’t need to spend a dime. Some free self care activities include meditation, exercising, and taking a nap!
Myth 2: Self care is “SELFISH”
Alrighty. If anyone tells you that taking time for yourself is selfish, maybe we should reconsider who you are surrounding yourself with? No true friend or peer would ever tell you that taking time for you is being selfish. People who are telling you to ignore self care are the ones who definitely need it the most, they are just too much of a coward to speak up for themselves and would much rather bury it deep down inside. We don’t need that time of negativity!
Myth 3: Time Crunch
“We are all so busy and there is never enough time in the day to do anything for ourselves.” This is so common. Yes, we are busy, but this is how I see it. I feel as though people do not want to take time for themselves during the day because it could maybe interfere with their daily routine. Disrupting patterns can maybe cause us to scramble and unravel and I get that, but taking 10-15 minutes a day to step back would truly benefit you in the long run. It’s just thinking about and utilizing all different tools to get you there.
Now, for the truths.
Truth 1: I may need more support, and that’s okay
Asking for help is never an easy thing to do, especially if we have no idea where to start. The first step is in any situation that you need help in, is to realize and recognize that you need help. Sometimes we don’t need to be strong all the time. We are all human and make mistakes, and it’s so healthy to let others know that we need assistance.
Truth 2: Being Honest
Like we mentioned above, don’t push your feelings and thoughts to the side and try and forget about them, it won’t work. The thoughts will eventually sneak up on you when you least expect it. Sometimes using your words and simply saying “no” to situations will help you in the long run to reach that goal of YOU time.
Truth 3: Self-Discovery
Let’s reflect. Think of a time when you were so happy nothing else mattered. It felt good right? Let’s do more of that. Revisiting old interests and hobbies should occur more often, even just for a little bit. We can start small, and then build. Maybe you can take 10 minutes out of the day and look at old photos that make you smile, and then a week later it’s 20 minutes, then 30, and before you know it, a full day just for you. Sounds like a good plan to me!
Again, many struggle with this, including myself and that's OKAY! As TR's we need to make sure that we are good before we can help our clients to the best of our abilities. It takes time, effort, and thought to make all of this work. Again, start small then build. It’s only up from here!
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