It’s hard to imagine adding more to our already busy lives. Work-life, social life, family life, and having personal time seem impossible. We pick and choose what we can fit in and we ride a wave of exhaustion, weaving between excitement and depletion. In the small moments of time we do have for ourselves, we are recovering and gearing up for the next round of responsibility. We raise ourselves up and ground ourselves down but there never seems to be enough time to truly turn our frown upside down.
Self-care meets us there. When time feels like a race, if we let self-care come in first place, we will win beyond what we could imagine. The race begins to dissipate, time becomes more spacious, we become more gracious, and things start to fall into place for us.
Step One: Breath
Breathing has the power to proceed the mind-body into different states of being. Often times we do not notice the shallowness, the depth, or the pace which we allow it. Most of the time we are in the mind. We have forgotten about the heart and that leaves us without knowing where to start. The breath connects us to the rest of us. Notice, feel, and allow how it shows up and how it shapes us. Redirect it to calmer states of being by taking slow deep breaths and feeling the mind-body become one stream.
The breath connects us to the rest of us. Redirect it to calmer states of being by taking slow deep breaths and feeling the mind-body become one stream.
Step Two: Check-In
When we begin putting ourselves first, we naturally have more energy to disperse. One way to begin is by checking in: does the mind-body-spirit light up, seem heavy, or does the answer to the question feel like a maybe? This small task before you say, “Yes” can change your day in a simple, yet profound way. It creates a foundation of roots in your truth. And it won’t always be easy, not being pleasing, but it’s incredibly important to honor these feelings; it acts as a cleaning to your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. And eventually, things become crystal clear - without hesitation, you understand where you stand. Healthy boundaries become your friend and you’re happy to lend a helping hand but only when you can.
It won’t always be easy, not being pleasing, but it’s incredibly important to honor these feelings; it acts as a cleaning to your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Step Three: Be Curious
When so much is expected of you, what do you let go and what do you pursue? Before you answer, think this through. Is the mind-heart connected and coming from a place of truth? Or is it something you feel you have to do? If it’s the latter, how can it help you grow? What language can you change for the story to be re-spun into something more welcoming once the day is done? One consideration is this transformation: move from, “I have to” to “I get to.” Notice what happens to the mind-heart now ~ rather than closing down, we open up to the possibility that’s in front of us.
This can help us begin to recognize old patterns that are no longer serving us, rather, they may feel like they are pushing us - to new heights that leave the old ones out of site. This can be uncomfortable and rare, which may feel like a pit of despair. But know this, it’s actually wisdom in high demand and it’s asking us to take a stand: to acknowledge what no longer feels right so that we can open ourselves up to new visions of site.
Step Four: Surrender
Surrendering creates space for everything to take place. It’s our natural state of being but often times that’s not what it seems. It requires trust and encompasses flow but most of us, we have been taught to control the things we do not understand - which creates separation between us and the things at hand. When we learn to let go and be with the flow, we realize we do not need to know. The present moment is truly all there is so the action we take based on the things we think and say are what creates our day.
The uncomfortable and the unknown await - they offer us a gateway first to destroy and then to create. They help us realize the importance of taking that jump of faith into ourselves where our true nature takes place.
