I see you there trying to work that google search to give you the answer you really want.
You think you are looking for ways to seamlessly integrate your self care into your already busy life, but that’s not quite it…
The question you are really asking is how can I practice self care and not feel guilty.
How can I take time for myself without feeling like I am neglecting my family, my friends, my work.
How can I possibly take time for me when they (whoever that is) depend on me.
I’m pretty sure I have a couple more drops in my cup so I have some time before I have to take care of myself.
Do you have time? To ignore taking care of you, no. Do you actually have time to take care of yourself, yup.
This is not about getting fancy, this is simply about prioritizing the basics. Like showering, drinking water, eating a vegetable, or taking a nap.
I know you think you are successfully filling everyone’s cup from your own, but my guess is you’re not. How full are you actually filling your cup before you start to pour that in to others?
Maybe a better question is, how big is the cup you are trying to fill? Are you thinking you are using a big jug when really what you have is a dixie cup? Maybe that’s why it feels so hard to find your balance, to feel fulfilled in your care tasks, to actually make progress in your self care plan.
Some days there are easy answers, and some days the digging just leads to more questions. But we like questions here right?!? Use some of these questions to start to poke around and see what your true feelings are around taking care of yourself.
Here are some starter questions:
- What do I define as self care? Use this as a chance to brain dump anything and everything YOU say would take care of you. Don’t clutter your list with things you hate but that your aunt posted on Facebook and says you have to do.
- If time were not a factor, what habits would I like to start creating? This can be health related, mindset related, work related whatever. Let yourself start dreaming!
- How does taking care of myself feel? It’s easy to get bogged down in a list of things we need to do, and sometimes we overlook the success we have because we didn’t take a moment to find the feelings. Sometimes success doesn’t look like we expect, but the feeling, well if we know what/how that feeling shows up for us it will clue us in to our successes.
- What support do I need to help me stop feeling shame/guilt/overwhelm, etc and start my self care journey? This is a big one. Probably the one thing most of my clients struggle with the most. Especially as women it’s encouraged to put ourselves and our needs last lest we be outed as selfish, uncaring and neglectful.
- Ask why you feel like your needs don’t matter? Find some quiet time to sit with this question. Do some free writing after your meditation. Or just let the thought marinate a bit. I bet that a lot of why you are hesitant to do more is based on not feeling worthy to do more for yourself.
Here’s where I wish I had a magic formula to just make this process super easy, but I don’t. What I do have are some pretty good listening ears, lots of practice holding space while you figure things out, and the ability to help coach and guide you along the journey.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. If you are ready to take those next steps, then I am ready to support you 100%. Hit the link below and let’s schedule a chat and see if working together might be the answer you’ve been seeking! I have 1:1 coaching spots open now!
