dottedlines self-care journal

[dottedlines]

Taking care of ourselves is critical, no?

So I've started this journal for two reasons:
-to motivate me, encourage me to be accountable to my own self care
-to inspire, encourage others here to consider self-care as a non-negotiable foundation of their lives.

Here's how I plan to take care of myself this coming week:
1. Daily naps, if needed. I recognize my need for control over the sleeping situation isn't going to go away soon, and that while it;s not healthy to keep doing it, I can at least offset it in the meantime by supplementing my sleep with naps. Thankfully I have the kind of work that easily allows this.

2. Morning walks, for 20-30 minutes, with a focus on 'walking meditation' (focus on the breath, and the feel/sensation of my feet hitting the pavement one after the other)

3. Afternoon exercise or dancing, around 15 minutes worth. This may include anything from yoga to more cardio-type moves. I will go with what my heart & body feel like doing.

4. Daily meditation, at least 5 minutes of soothing sounds (ocean, rain, etc), with focus, again, on the breath, and gently, kindly, dropping away extraneous thoughts.

5. Possible hair appointment for Keratin treatment + color. I will call the salon Monday.

6. At least one bath a week, with special oils, salts, or nice smelling additives.

7. Music listening for the sheer joy of it, while journaling here.

8. Reading of interesting magazines & books, at least 20 minutes a day.

9. Fingernail care. I've been giving my cuticles HELL for 3 weeks. It's time to give them kindness.

[JenMac]

What a great idea Dot! And a great plan too!
I find that I remake my list every new season, but I am sometimes lax to follow through!
Maybe it is time to hold myself accountable as well?
Thanks for the reminder!

Jenn

[Cupcakemomma]

Sorry to Hijack but, Jen, you might be on to somethin ;) LOL
As you always tell the rest of us: Take care of YOU.

[dottedlines]

yesterday I took good care of me. We did a 20-minute walk, and then in the afternoon I did my 15-minute more intense exercise session.

My nails/cuticles are on the road to recovery. Not easy, as a lot of my 'pain'/anxiety goes there.

I've found a lot of difficulty with focus on my work. I just do what I gotta do to get through the day & not much more. It means I'm getting behind on some personal work goals. But I also have decided to shift some of my perspective and put my marriage first. I admit to putting work ahead of it in the past.

When I was younger and there were P and other issues, I immediately went into "I need to fix myself" mode. I find my self-care this time is a lot less about trying to change something about me to be more appealing to H, and more about pride in myself, and choosing to allow myself to get better clothing, accessories, etc as my body changes.

There's also the endorphin rush that comes from exercise, which will help offset some of my more painful emotions. By choosing to exercise, eat well, and partake in other self-care activities, I'm deciding for myself that I have self worth. Because at the end of the day, I believe our love has to come from within before anything else. It gives us strength, flexibility, and light long term. If our self-worth is too dependent on what others 'give' to us, our dependency is too great, and it makes healing so much harder.

[Disillusioned]

Because at the end of the day, I believe our love has to come from within before anything else. It gives us strength, flexibility, and light long term. If our self-worth is too dependent on what others 'give' to us, our dependency is too great, and it makes healing so much harder.quote from Dot.....

Yes, Yes, and did I say Yes? Yes.
disillusioned