Self Care

This week has been rough. Anyone else?

From shocking news to bad news to paying Uncle Sam....TGIF.

I had an appointment on Wednesday that left me unable to work for the day. The choices of what to do were endless!! I had grand ideas of going to Hobby Lobby and buying all the décor my little house needs. A mani/pedi was the perfect way to spend my afternoon! I could lounge and watch Housewives.....UNINTERUPPTED! So, what did I do?

I cleaned my house.

Seriously? Yes. Because there were no little feet plodding behind me wrecking havoc. I was able to focus and get it all done. And then, I crashed. But, I had accomplished a lot and had completed several tasks I had been delaying.

No more energy for a mani/pedi or walk. My attention span wasn't able to cope with an hour of NYCs finest Housewives. We ordered a pizza and called it a night.

But what would have happened if I had gone shopping and had the mani/pedi? My house wouldn't be clean, but my emotional and psychological self would have been restored.

What is self care? Wikipedia defines self care as, "any necessary human regulatory function which is under individual control, deliberate and self-initiated. Some place self-care on a continuum with health care providers at the opposite end to self-care. In modern medicine, preventive medicine aligns most closely with self-care."  Did you catch that last part?! "Preventive medicine aligns most closely with self-care"!! This is what we are doing! This is the essence of The Total Patient.

But, what does this look like? The above definition is a little clinical, IMO. It looks like whatever you need to do to take care of you. Go for a walk, read a book, take a nap, watch a movie, call a friend, organize the nagging junk drawer, go through the mail, clean out the box in the garage that has been calling to you, get a manicure, get a pedicure, read a magazine, watch a show, go to the movies, take a drive, walk on the beach, hike, play cards, listening to your favorite album, scrapbooking, crafting, going to the range, swimming, yoga, pilates, zumba, working out, cooking. Basically, anything that you want to do that you normally don't make time for.

In my experience, completing a task that has been on my to-list for awhile usually helps free up mental energy. For example, cleaning the house also included cleaning up the clutter and making a few trips to the garage for storage and to the dumpster. I changed our winter wreath to the spring wreath and WHAM! It feels like a new place! That, and the Easter egg display I created and baby boy promptly investigated!

When you take time for yourself you are recharging your emotional needs. This helps with improving your outlook. How? I believe it occurs because you are taking the focus off of your normal routine; wake, feed, work, clean, sleep, repeat, and allows creativity, joy, and happiness to flow! Two weeks ago I spent the day with a college friend. What a great day! And, we didn't do anything! We talked, walked, had lunch and dinner, talked, laughed, and just spent time together. I told my husband that my heart was full. I felt ready to take on the new challenges and was refreshed from my time.

Take a break this week to do something for you! Something you don't usually do.

Just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, take care of you!