I have always been someone that was on the go at all hours of the day. Whether I was heading to class, to meetings, pilates, work, receptions or dinners, I hardly ever had a moment to myself. I was up by the crack of dawn and usually awake well past midnight working on planning, designs or on deadline.
Recently a lot of things in life hit me all at once and it forced me to step back and take care of both my mental and physical health. I decided to take at least 30 minutes a day and spend them strictly to myself. Whether that's watching television, taking a walk, napping or having a glass of wine as I read from Tiffany Pham's book, "You Are A Mogul," I let everything else that is going on leave my mind and focus on me solely in those moments.
Everyone always talks about "adulting," but it also involves making sure that you, yourself are okay as well. It's about knowing what your body needs and making time for yourself. I am very much one of those "do as I say, not as I do," people, but I hope this is one part of my daily routine that others learn to follow. My planner may be chaotic color-coded scheduling, sticky notes all over my desk, to-do lists in my phone, but for a small chunk of time, those all mean nothing to me. I allow myself to de-stress in order to do the best that I can through my crazy schedule, and so that I am at the top of my game when I'm helping others.
I have never felt more like myself than I do right now, all because of those 30 minutes of relaxation a day. Yes, I do have to schedule that into my planner and it may seem silly to schedule time to relax, but it makes a difference. I always thought people who actually meditated every day were insane, but I now understand the need for it, and while my "meditation" is different, it still counts.
What do you do for your own self-care?