Do you ever find yourself exhausted for no apparent reason? That's been me this weekend. In a weird way it's been nice, because I ended up sleeping a lot more than usual, and my body really seems to appreciate that. It's also helped me get caught up on doing stuff, because my lack of motivation to leave my apartment, combined with my not wanting to be bored led me to get my laundry done and clean my house. So now it's Sunday afternoon, and all my clothes and sheets and towels are clean and hung up, and my apartment is clean (or as clean as it can be without yet owning a vacuum), and my dog is bathed and brushed. So I'm feeling very clean and very rested. Which I think is a great way to feel at the end of the weekend.
At my work we talk a lot about self care. For those of you who don't know what that term means, it's pretty much what you'd think it is. Self care is intentionally making sure you are taking care of yourself (physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, etc.). In the health industry we get reminded of it a lot, because the cold hard truth is that it's hard to give quality care to someone else if you're not taking care of yourself and you're running on empty. Additionally, you end up burning out much faster and much less gloriously than a shooting star. But I've noticed that self care is important period, regardless of if you work in healthcare or not. Self care is, by its very nature, something that is good for you.
Once upon a time, I was horrendously incapable of good self care, and it was destroying me. I would forget to eat regularly, I wasn't managing my mental health at all, I was stressed out by college, my sleep pattern was non-existent, and I spent all my time and energy taking care of others. Me being as stubborn as I am, it took a long while to start to listen when others told me I needed to take a step back and focus on myself before trying to save the world. When I finally did start actually taking care of myself (in a variety of different ways), it improved my life so much. I felt less stressed, I felt okay telling people that I needed space, and I was just a happier person overall for it. It was also easier to recognize when I was upset, because there was a noticeable difference, rather than just always being upset from everything.
Anyhow, this weekend was a good self-care weekend for me. I rested up, restored my environment, and also hung out with my favorite people last night. I invite whoever is reading this to find time this week to take care of yourself. Pamper yourself or do something that will help you unwind. If you need some quiet time, take it. If you've been avoiding people, go socialize. Do something you enjoy, and do something to nourish yourself physically and mentally and any other way you might be needing it. Whether it's spending 5 minutes meditating, or taking all weekend to relax, give a little love to yourself at some point this week.
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