Show up to your self-care

There is incredible advice being offered at this time about how to maximise self-care routines in quarantine. We have access to books, wellness programs, exercise programs, meditation apps, courses – you name it, it’s there. People have been incredibly generous to share their knowledge freely to be part of the solution to get through this together.When this is all over, I really urge you to continue with the good work you have done. I know so many people who have used this opportunity to start a meditation practice, exercise routine – even if it’s doing some squats in the garden or running on the spot. It was more than they ever did before this started.And if you’re reading this with a pang of guilt because you just haven’t managed to get yourself to do that exercise you know you should be doing, it’s not too late. Just begin with something, it will boost your mood, energy and you will start to really build the internal confidence you may be lacking because you have been avoiding this. If your stress has gone through the roof and you feel like ‘I just don’t have time for self-care’ – let me tell you, you are a prime candidate! Create a simple habit like ‘When I feel tense, I will stand up and take 10 deep breaths and then sit back down.’ That’s it! It doesn’t have to become these long 20 minute sessions with a yoga mat.We always give ourselves loop holes for not being consistent with our habits. You know how it goes - I’m on holiday, it’s my cousins wedding, life is short, etc. The truth is that the instant gratification isn’t too detrimental if you get back on the wagon the next day.But this has grown to an extended period of time and it may get longer so you need to think through this carefully. I urge you to change your narrative from ‘This will all be over soon and then I’ll start looking after myself better’ to ‘This is my life now and I need to take charge of it now’. The long term consequences are going to be waiting for you when you get back to work, back to the school runs, back to your life. There is almost this feeling of ‘quarantine will be one part of my life that I can look back on – it doesn’t really fit in the scheme of things’.The reality is this is your life now. Take a week or two off for holiday and you get back on track. But take a few months off and it will catch up with you. This is not just about putting on a few extra kilo’s or starting that yoga practice you promised yourself you would because it’s good for you. This is about you developing and maintaining a strong sense of self-belief, self-worth and self-acceptance.The way to boost confidence is by keeping the promises you make to yourself. The way to dent your self-esteem is constantly let yourself down by breaking the agreements you made with yourself.You know the concept of a to-do list – but have you ever thought about a ‘to-be’ list? Who do I want to be during this period? How do I want my family and colleagues to reflect on me once this is over? Ultimately the ‘to –be’ list extends into a ‘to-feel’ list. How do you want to feel at the end of each day?Stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted? Or content, energised and bold? Both are viable choices – the difference is deciding what activities you want to match into your calendar? The truth is how you schedule your days is how you spend your life. Be deliberate what you place into the slots available because with kids, family and being in one space – they are far and few between. Every day is made up of micro decisions – Am I going to work on that proposal or watch cat videos? Am I going to take 15 minutes with my kids or reply to unnecessary emails? Am I going to reach for the energy drink or water?We are not in a new normal. We are only in the new. This demands a new set of behaviours to accompany it in order to step up to the challenge and self-care plays a huge role in this.If you think about an artist preparing to work, he/she spends time sharpening the pencils, washing the paint brushes in order to do their best work. You don’t think to yourself, what a waste of time. You are the paint brush – time to make sure you are ready and prepared for each day by investing some time in you first. And make sure its guilt free!Here’s to you because you deserve it,Warm wishesLori