KrazyGirl Self Care Month-
What is #KGSELFCARE?
What exactly is Self-Care? The term seems almost cliché these days, however, self-care is often misunderstood and underrated. The reality is, we all need to regularly and actively combat the toxic effects of stress on our minds and our bodies or we will literally fall apart. We can’t have stable minds or balanced lives if we are mentally or physically unhealthy or sick. Many KG’s are highly sensitive (empaths) and experience the build-up of toxicity rapidly and intensely, and must intentionally practice self care mindfully and regularly. Entire books and courses have been written about this subject because it is so important. Let’s take a look at this in greater detail.
There can be no wellness, health or stability if we do not not take good care of our minds, bodies, relationships and environments. If we fail to maintain our personal biosphere, no amount of medicine, therapy, or anything else will help us be well. The responsibility for this upkeep is ours alone- no one else can do this for us. We must choose and implement meaningful self-care practices into our lives, prioritizing this and working other aspects of our lives around it. Being a working parent and a total overachiever, I can personally speak to how hard it is to do this! However, if we shift our paradigm even slightly, this becomes much easier. The first and most important step in my opinion involves our mindset and willingness to value ourselves enough to prioritize our wellness.
For many years like so many of us, I put myself, and my own self care very far down on the priority list. I snuck in a few things here and there like time with friends and some yoga, but the ratio of time and energy spent taking care of myself vs. my kids, home, patients and all that involved on the daily was just not sustainable. Being the stubborn and determined person that I am, I pushed harder and became more stressed out, angry and resentful. I drank too much, ate mindlessly and saw myself aging in the mirror. Why was I so unhappy? The truth is that I had become so caught up on the hamster wheel of my consciously cultivated life that I had lost all perspective. Even though I could “talk the talk” about self love and self care I was certainly not walking the walk. And when COVID-19 hit, I had no other choice but to slow down! Surprisingly, I found that this slower pace really suited me. I had no say in the shutdown of life as I knew it, but I definitely had choices in how I would handle the new realities of life. I now had more time to walk, breathe, eat consciously and evaluate my before and after (COVID) lifestyle. I started up what I now affectionately call “my office on my ass” which is my new work from home station, and began to see the blessings of this new pace of living. Yes, there was also a lot of stress-so many people sick and lives lost, livelihoods diminished, children homeschooling while parents struggled to manage it all, adult children returning home with altered plans and lifestyles. This was a total and complete reshuffling of the deck of life as we knew it. Interestingly however, as my car became dusty from lack of use I felt a surge in my creative potential, and I began to understand how my fast paced life was actually my personal race to nowhere. I felt my boundaries tightening regarding how and with whom I spent my time, the structure of my thoughts and my days changed a lot, and I began to feel lighter, younger and much happier!
Whether your individual version of proper self-care involves intentionally decreasing unhealthy for you elements of your life, or intentionally increasing ones that suit you better, directing attention towards our own well being is a choice each of us makes. NOW is the perfect time to do this. It is no coincidence that at the same time we start to focus on our well being that things change for the better in our lives. Is this the chicken or the egg? Do we become happier and healthier because we value ourselves enough to devote some time and energy toward ourselves? Or do we come to value ourselves more because we are practicing intentional self care? The ultimate effect of practicing regular and robust self care results in so many positive aspects that it is difficult to determine the true cause and effect, but the outcome becomes obvious. And if we neglect self care this too becomes clear- in a slippery slope descending into stagnation or darkness.
This blog will kick off “KrazyGirl Self-Care Month” starting Saturday 8/1/2020. We are using the hashtag #KGSelfcare, to designate and identify all things related to this initiative, which is dedicated to improving our wellness through intentional self-care. There will be 5 weekly modules with a different themed aspect about self care strategies, goals and obstacles, all designed to jumpstart your individual self care routine. Please use this # every time you share anything related to self-care in our private FB group this month, and you can win a beautiful self care basket courtesy of the KrazyGirl Project! Each Saturday in August we will read one Blog and watch a live video about a different aspect of self-care which will be our focus for that week. Then, comment with #KGselfcare, about your thoughts, feelings, strategies, ideas, concerns or obstacles. In this way we will support and encourage each other forward this month on our intentional wellness journey together, moving from #Krazy to #KrazyEmpowered. I am so excited to share this together! Are you ready? Let’s GO!
Please post about your current self-care beliefs and practices. How is this working for you?