Selfcare, wellbeing, wellness; these are the new buzz words we keep hearing from Therapists and Healthcare Professionals, including myself. Selfcare has been my mantra on social media as well as in my practice. Yet, why is it so important and why do we really need to make an effort to improve our wellbeing.
Whereas my own selfcare has improved, it can be adhoc at times, or as a reaction to my body crying for respite. Whether it be from a nasty bout of flu, or like last week, from muscular pain that had me so stiff, I was unable to sleep through the night. No amount of stretching, foam rolling and massaging with a tennis ball helped. So, it was off to see my Osteopath Dorothy Smith at Bellenden Therapies.
Funny enough as soon as school term started I had been scheduling more “me” time. I had Osteopathy, had two Massages, discovered Colouring Therapy and I was stretching, foam rolling and meditating/praying on a constant basis. But, after hitting the snooze button one too many times last week. I woke up with no time to stretch before work and the school run, which led to muscular tension in my upper back and neck.
The problem for me is there are never enough hours of the day to get everything done. I strive to keep my business afloat and juggle life as a single parent. I often stay up way too late procrastinating over my ever growing 'to do' list. So, it’s hard to get up that extra half an hour to do the things I need to do to keep me healthy.
Now, I have improved. I no longer work to the wee hours of the morning as I did when my lo was small and aptly named #HurricaneToddler.
My diet has improved immensely. Since lo started school, I have more time for work and myself. In addition, with a great support network, I can finally get things done more efficiently.
I put my 'out of office on' at the weekends. I don't reply to work emails after 7pm unless it is absolutely necessary. Now for a self-proclaimed control freak this is monumental. However, I still fall short, and my main areas I need to improve (like most Women and Mothers) are:
Getting enough sleep.
Occasionally putting my needs first.
Knowing when it is time to stop.
Now that I have been put back together for the umpteenth time; here's my new promise to myself:
30 mins of yoga/foam rolling/stretching/ meditation or prayer every morning.
Put down the phone/laptop by 9.30pm
Schedule in that monthly massage once a month (to support my monthly osteopathy sessions).
I vow also to not beat myself up/give up when my new promises go awry. I will just start again as soon as I can.
Yes, there are lots of things I can add; but in order to keep things achievable you have to make your selfcare goals realistic and add a little at a time. Besides, life is a journey and I am only human; I'm definitely not superwoman. 😉