“You must carve out a moment to yourself every single day.”
The first time I heard that statement I thought, I can’t possibly squeeze another ounce out of my day without feeling completely drained, when I already feel bone dry. Turns out, that’s exactly why I needed to hold myself accountable to build in self-care everyday. I let the need for productivity supersede the need to take care of myself, and I everyone I loved was paying for it.
Between teaching high school English and professional development classes, studying wellness, and coaching practice clients, every spare second felt spoken for. After all, my family still needed to eat and deserved a clean house to enjoy quality time in. (Notice how I didn’t even mention movement?) This list isn’t even comprehensive. That wasn’t the worst of it though — I was short tempered and falling asleep at gatherings which doesn’t exactly make for a very fun party guest. But I still wore my “busy” as a badge of honor, and all I had to show for it was an exhausted pile of person. You can only live like that for so long, ya know? I was desperate for change.
How I make it work:
“Don’t try to steer the river.”
Deepak Chopra
It seems silly but after a long day, the last thing I felt like doing was washing my face. Such a simple sounding task but when all you want to do is collapse into bed, not so much. Since I knew I couldn’t neglect caring for the largest organ of my body, I decided I’d try to give myself a reason to look forward to this menial task.
Once cleansing was done, I reached for a fresh wash cloth, saturated it with water as hot as I could stand, ringed it out, and draped it over my face for a few deep breaths or until the cloth cooled. On days I didn’t feel the pull of bed beckoning, I put a drop or two of essential oil into the basin of the sink for an aromatherapy bonus before bending my face over the hot wash cloth.
My Results:
Sure enough, I found I started looking forward to this moment of sanctuary. With the bathroom door closed, I can expect enough privacy to drown out what’s going on, on the other side of the door. And don’t get me wrong, some days I’m still exhausted and dread the work that comes before this moment of stillness (packing lunch, cleaning up the kitchen, brushing teeth, cleansing my face, etc.), but this moment of solitude is always there now, waiting to help me relax.
Make This Story Yours
Try finding your own opportunities to integrate self-care. Need ideas? Check out more on this topic.
Outlook Good, Feel Good 
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