A Life In Review

5 Stars- Totally recommend doing self care. Not the kind that requires a spa day and hours away from your kids, but the practical kind that can be done even on the busiest of days. It took me a while but I think I figured out how to get it done (and not like a chore)!

Self-Care is defined as the practice of taking action (doing something), to “preserve” or better one’s health! (Paraphrased from the dictionary).

When Self-Care (SC) started trending, I was totally against it. Not because I believe you don’t need time to yourself, but because women were posting these extravagant (and expensive) “self-care” adventures. Cruises, vacations, spa days galore, all without their significant others and kids. OR I saw a lot of people begin to neglect their families in order to put their “self-care” first. I watched as kind, generous people became selfish. It really turned me off to SC.

Then I started connecting with women that were more like me. Women that enjoyed their families and responsibilities, but were also tired. Tired not only physically, but emotionally. For some time, I didn’t even want alone time or time to care for myself. My husband continuously encouraged me to get out and do something for myself, but again, my only view of self-care was the expensive selfish kind.

I say all of that, to explain what I NOW view self-care as. Self-care is a way to reset yourself. Reset your mood, reset your outlook and reset your mindset. It’s making sure that you can breathe and collect your own thoughts (because let’s be honest life doesn’t leave much time for that). Self-care can last for 5 minutes, or a weekend (if you are lucky). All I know, is that it’s important. This doesn’t just apply for moms either. I know that SC is often geared toward moms, but single ladies can be just as stressed and overwhelmed (hello fully supporting yourself).

Before I share my SC examples, I want to be clear about something. I do NOT believe that self-care is putting yourself first. In fact I do not believe in putting yourself first. It leads to selfishness and poor character. I’ve seen it happen over and over. It breaks my heart to see kind people turn into “me”-centered people because they believe that they should be put first. This is especially true for marriages (two became ONE, meaning you are not more important than your spouse). Self- Care means putting time aside for EACH of you to reset and regroup.

These are some great examples of self care that can be done daily or once in a while (the first 5 are my specific Self-Care practices):

1. A hot shower ALONE (mamas, you know what I mean), with time to blow dry and lotion up after (Time: 30-45 min. Cost: water bill I guess?)
2. A trip to Chick-fil-A for a Milkshake (Time: 15-30 min. Cost: $4)
3. Go get hair done at the salon- Cut, Wash & Dry (Time: 1-2 hrs. Cost: $40-$50)
4. Paint Nails or Toes (Time: 15-30 min. Cost: price of nail polish)
5. Spend 30 minutes working on a puzzle (Time: 30 min. Cost: price of puzzle)
6. Date Night with NO KIDS (Time: 3-6 hours Cost: $50-$150 including childcare)
7. Spend 30 minutes reading something of your choice (Time: 30 min. Cost: price of reading material)
8. Wind down with a drink on a crazy day (Time: 30-60 min. Cost: price of drink)
9. Do your makeup (I like to do this alone and with a playlist) (Time: 15-20 min. Cost: price of makeup)
10. Go for a walk (great time to listen to a podcast/ audiobook) (Time: 20-30 min. Cost: free)
11. Take a break from technology/ Social Media (Time: 1-24 hours Cost: free)
12. Light your favorite candle and sip some coffee (or whatever you like to drink) (Time: 5-30 min. Cost: $5-$20)
13. Order out instead of cooking dinner (Time: 5 min. Cost $25-$60 depending on family size)
14. Watch an episode of your favorite sitcom (I highly suggest Friends) (Time: 22-30 min. Cost: free-ish)
15. One uninterrupted meal. You get to eat first and eat it hot without serving others or taking care of kids. (Time: 30 min. Cost: cost of food)

These are just some of the many ideas. Each person will have their own way of resetting. It doesn’t have to be expensive or take a whole lot of time, but as I have learned, it’s SO worth it.

My challenge for you this week (or when you get a minute) is to make a quick list of your “self-care” options. That way you have something to look at and choose from. You can take ideas from above or add your own. I’ll share mine below.