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1.2 | What have you observed about your self-care practice?
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The self-care practice I’m working on is healthier eating, including not skipping meals. I am mostly plant-based but often don’t make time to find recipes or cook. So I decided to work with a nutritionist who offers structure, meal options, and a plan that doesn’t force me to deprive myself. Her offerings include a menu (with various options) and a grocery list, making grocery shopping and meal planning a lot easier.
I hope that my work here will spill into other areas of self-care. For example, if I’m eating the right things, I’ll have more energy and feel more healthy, which may encourage me to work on exercise next.
I must say, I am enjoying the loving act of preparing meals for myself and nourishing my body three times a day.
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My self care practice was to slow down and create more space between activities. I’m fortunate enough to eat well, have time for outdoor movement, get 8+ hours of sleep, practice hobbies, and do work I find meaningful. Even with all this, I still felt burnt out and a bit rushed. What I distilled from this is that I am just going from activity to activity without pausing and resting in between. I’m trying to move away from looking at ‘self-care’ as a checklist and instead look to how I can cultivate meaningful space in my day to slow down and reflect.
I took a 10 day vacation in early september and this time was the much needed ‘slow down’ I’ve been craving. Although it was filled with long walks, exploring new cities, and bountiful meals, I was able to focus on enjoying and succumbing to the space in the days as opposed to working through my ‘self-care’ to-dos.
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I have been intentionally spending even more time in nature (smoke permitting!). Combined with mindfulness of body practice this has been really calming – generating at times a strong sense of overall ease and being part of everything which infuses itself more into everyday life. Combined with the mindfulness I am noticing more of nature and the changes which surround me not only when out walking but also in more familiar areas such as my garden. Scheduling long walks with everything else going on is a challenge but even sitting outside a bit more with no agenda can be nourishing.
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When I’m able to dedicate time to self-care, I simply feel happier, healthier, more positive, and feel I have more clarity on what is most important in my life. That happiness and optimism radiates to my family, in my work, and all things. Since I started practicing meditation about five years ago, my interest in learning more about different methods, the benefits of a regular practice, and the research behind it has grown over time. Meditation is integral to my self-care practice and I truly believe it is what keeps me balanced and helps me through challenging times.
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Living with chronic pain there are a lot of things in the self care realm that I do, but what I noticed is that they all feel obligatory. I have to do them to feel functional and/or keep the pain at bay. They do make me feel better when I do them (like exercise or eating the right things), but they don’t necessarily feel nurturing. The first week I tired to focus on a few new recipes and making food that was more than functional. Let’s just say that I started out strong but that self care has been reduced to pain management the last couple of weeks.
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Self-care has really dropped off during the pandemic- I’ve become more lethargic and less apt to care for my physical body. I’ve started going to a personal trainer to increase accountability and find myself more energized. Another recent practice I’ve added is abhyanga (ayurveda massage with oil) on my hands, feet and ears which has added time for reflection and warmth towards care of my body.
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My self-care tools have recently been more unavailable to me due to an increase in family needs. It was a welcome invitation to return to my own care and I decided to focus on exercise. Because my schedule is so irregular right now it has been hard to create a routine but I am going to the gym twice a week and exercising outdoors when I have the opportunity. It has felt so good!
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I’ve prioritized being in nature, play, and getting support from others and feel really good! I have spent more time running outdoors, signed up for an improv class (play), and committed to the Wisdom circle meeting. I feel more well-rounded and reenergized as a result!
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I’m struggling with finding the time to focus on the particular aspect of self care from the survey. I am looking forward to tapping the wisdom circle for advice and insight on their strategies for balancing work, kids, and other commitments. By dedicating time to this area, I would be making a trade-off with another area that would likely have negative consequences. I’m feeling a bit stuck…
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The self-care practice I chose to focus on for the purposes of this exercise was physical fitness. The first thing I’ve really noticed over the previous 12-18 months (as well as the past two weeks) is that there really is no way to compartmentalize physical fitness/activity, diet and sufficient sleep. These three facets of physical health are so inextricably linked that any attempts to tease one from the other and “optimize” is nearly a (if not a complete) waste of time. The second thing I’ve noticed is the vitality of meeting myself where I am in the exact same manner in which I strive to meet others where they are. What does that mean? My wife and I run a thriving executive coaching practice and corporate leadership consultancy together, we share two young children under the age of six, we run a household, have a social life and maintain commitments to a number of other outside volunteer organizations. All of this keeps us busy, and that was before the world was plunged into the trauma of a global public health emergency. Directing gentleness inwards is vital as is building on the strength of what I do accomplish day-to-day as opposed to focusing on what I don’t.
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Focusing on exercise was an area where I was working to grow, as well as sleep. I am bringing more intentionality to both areas. I am noticing how when I exercise, even for 10 minutes a day, it greatly improves my mood and I am able to practice being embodied with more openness.
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While my body is trapped by the new work-from-home era, the self-care practice freed my spirit and gave it a mini-vacation. I really enjoyed this escape. I just need to make the habit to prioritize the practice in my daily life.
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I have been working for a long time now, and will continue for longer still, working on a self-care practice centered around compassion. It would seem after so many years my mind has finally started to, out of habit, turn to the kinder words and thoughts I need to get through my days. My practice has unquestionably started reflected in a better ability to pause before reacting and that has given me more comfort in my day to day life.
I have noticed that over our quarantine I have allowed my body to languish too much, but instead of beating myself up for it I am able to choose again with each new moment to prioritize myself and my health.
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For this program, I’m focusing on hydration and sleep. I’m noticing that when I check in with myself, I am not as much hungry before noon as I am thirsty (I wish I’d known this many years and empty pounds ago!). I am pushing myself to turn off all the screens before 10 PM. I notice that if things aren’t off by then, I’m likely to still be up, zoning out in front of mindless TV, until after midnight.
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I inadvertently ended up choosing to reduce my alcohol consumption (almost daily to just a couple of nights in the week). This had a tremendous impact on my overall motivation, energy level, improved tolerance to difficult emotions and think clearly. Feelings of nervous anxiety improved. I will continue this practice – it influences my sleep which translates to ALL areas of life!
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