Re-thinking self-care
Self-care is huge on social media and in the therapy world nowadays. However, I think it’s gotten a little carried away, like you need this concrete “plan” that you rigidly need to stick to or you won’t ever be able to relax. But guess what? No one has time for that.
What’s my trick? Five minutes. Anything more and you’re lucky! If you can take five minutes a day to do something for yourself, you’re practicing self-care. Need some ideas?
Taking five minutes to actually wipe down the kitchen counters after cooking (which, yes, may turn into more than five minutes as you get everything put away and organized). The result? A clean kitchen and a sense of peace because the chaos and mess are gone.
Having a hot cup of coffee before the kids get up. You may not be able to finish it, but those few sips where you’re just alone, looking out the window or around your house can truly be a gamechanger when starting your day.
Sitting outside, even if you’re not alone. Maybe you’re at the playground or in the backyard or taking your dog out to poop. Just take a few minutes to notice the temperature, the wind, the smell of the fresh air. There’s a reason Instagram says that taking your kids outside is the equivalent to restarting your computer. It applies to adults too!
A quick workout. Yes, you can effectively work out in five minutes. I like the Peloton app, personally, because there are strength workouts that are short and sweet. Sometimes I’ll do a five-minute arm workout and that’s all the time I have, but sometimes I can stack on another five-minute lower body workout. I always feel like I’ve accomplished something when I’ve moved for just five minutes in the midst of my crazy day.
A snack that hits the spot. You know that feeling when your afternoon is crazy and you barely have time to think, but you remember that you have a Barbelle protein bar in the pantry, or TruFru in the freezer (can you tell I’m in the mood for chocolate as I write this?) and you take a few minutes to enjoy all its goodness before going back to the chaos? Truly, that’s an act of self-care.
Making your bed in the morning. This one never feels good for me in the morning - it feels like a hassle and my dog is always sitting on the bed when I’m trying to make it so it takes way longer than it should. However, at the end of the day when I’m literally giddy with excitement about getting into bed and I see that I made it in the morning, I could shed a tear of gratitude for my earlier self for remembering how good this feels.
Physical affection. Whether you need a hug from your kid(s) or partner, a friend, a parent, there’s neurobiological reasons that physical affection helps us calm down. There’s mirror neurons in our brains that literally mirror the state of the people around us. So when you’re about to pull your hair out at 4pm, see if you can get a quick hit of physical affection from someone who is calm to help regulate your own body.
Add a few things to your online grocery cart. Since I’m pregnant with a toddler, I can’t remember anything. I consider adding something to my Safeway cart when I’m actually thinking of it to be self-care. Takes me about 30 seconds, and I’ll thank myself in a few days when I’m making my grocery order and I definitely forgot we needed ketchup but my Tuesday Self remembered and added it already.
Put something fun in your water. I’ve been doing a lot of Liquid IVs lately because I’m pregnant and need the electrolytes but I’m also a huge fan of adding cucumber slices, lemon, strawberries, or mint to water to make it less boring and more refreshing.
If you’ve gotten to number 10, you’ve probably spent a few minutes reading this, which means you’re trying to engage in self-care by getting new ideas. That counts as self-care too! A for effort!
