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1.2 | What have you observed about your self-care practice?
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My self-care practice since the beginning of this experience has consisted of ensuring I walk every day, observing nature and appreciating the beauty of all its manifestations, reading for long hours at ease. I was not conscious that these activities were “self-care” until now.
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My self care was consistent exercise and taking breaks when i need them at work. Ive found the self care practice supports my mindfulness practice.
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Self care is something I value and think on a lot, and act on a lot less. Having an external “mandate” to invest in self changed everything for me. Despite sincerely wanting to prioritize self care more (and succeeding marginally), this helped me recognize that I’m more inclined to do things for others, or based on others’ expectations, than for myself or based on my own expectations. I think this is the same reason I effortlessly chose to eat vegan (for the sake of animals) some 20 years ago, but have never succeeded in sticking to a diet for longer than a day for the benefit of my own health! Clearly there’s something more to unpack here… 🙂
While not a new reflection, I was also reminded that the benefits of self care always feel greater after the fact than they do in your head as you are willing yourself to prioritize it. I.e. the mind focusses disproportionately on the “work” vs the reward. Why is that? Keeping this reflection regularly in mind has additionally helped to maintain space for self!
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The self care practice I choose was sleep. Good rest is foundational to so much – a point driven home by this exercise.
Honestly though, I have not been that successful. Many of the relevant variables (when my kid wakes up/goes to sleep) are not mine to control. Instead this turned into an exercise in trying to accept the things I cannot control, and not a lot of self care was had.
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More sleep.
Muy bueno. -
The opportunity to focus on myself is unsettling. I am not as interested in myself. I am more interested in the external factors. Self care forces me to look into my nature, which is not so pleasant. All of the negative feelings seem to come alive during self care.
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To my surprise I scored lowest on focus/engagement in my self assessment.
To avoid a too ambitious “new year” resolution style practice, I decided to notice times when I became disengaged. The practices helped, by allowing myself to just notice my focus, without too much judgement, I paradoxically found myself more focused and engaged.
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I tried really hard to be good about sleep. It was still a challenge, but the efforts did pay off. I feel SO MUCH BETTER with good sleep. And on the days after poor sleep, exercise still helped.
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I have observed that my self-care practice needs more attention, and have refocused in recent weeks on exercise and sleep. While sleep remains challenging with reawakening, I have started swimming again with more walking, trying also to bring more attention to breathing, stretching and mindful movement. I also am trying to grow a more holistic sense of self-care, for instance reconnecting online with friends “left behind” after my recent cross-country move, keeping those relationships nurtured while starting to cultivate a new community in a new place.
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Just investing more in mindfulness practice has made me more self-aware of moments I can invest in self-care in other ways. I focused my self-care on physical activity. I found myself in free moments more present and aware of the inclination and opportunity to do something physically active. This both got me out of the house and into nature more and also got me exercising more.
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This is an area of strength for me as long as I’m home. I had to travel to Munich for a business meeting last week. It was a two day trip and it was difficult to care for myself in the way I normally do because I’m beholden to the needs and desires of the group. I don’t prefer it but it’s part of the deal.
I’m working on letting go of my attachment to any specific type of caring for myself when I’m traveling, knowing that if I’m flexible I’m still able to navigate much of it successfully even if I’m not 100% there on sleep, nutrition or exercise.
Nothing worse for our wellbeing than resentment so I just focus on acceptance that this is how it is for the moment and it’s not forever.
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During my birthday dinner yesterday, my teenage daughter mentioned to me and other loved ones that she has noticed my taking intentional space and time during the day for self-care. We all toasted to this comment, as I shared with the family that this was intentional modeling for her and my other daughter!
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It has ups and downs. Appreciated the extra layer of commitment that having it as “homework” brought to my self-care plans and activities. I have been working on being kind to myself when I don’t get to engage enough in self-care – and incorporated a broader menu of options, like making sure I get outside, and walking by the east river. Moving a way from an all or nothing POV and acknowledging the value of a range of steps in the right direction. On the days when I was able to do more, I very intentionally took note of the impact on the rest of my day – in terms of my body/mind state and interactions with others.
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I have GREAT self care with the exception of personal relationships – which is where I need some work. I’ve started to address these (again), and I feel that the work I’m doing with this course will help me in this capacity. For me, attunement to others will help in the development of the right relationships that will in turn help improve my self care.
Out of the list of other self-care categories, this one seems the most challenging, as it involves other people and the complexities of relationships.
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I think our collective attention to self care is shifting in this country. I highly recommend The Nap Ministry as a thought leader in the space. I am learning that self care means aligning with my internal command system — to honor the quiet , whisper that is often telling me to take a stand break, to stretch, to lie down, to say no to meetings, to write more, to eat green foods and to move my body with intention and with respect.
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