Self-care

I was chatting with a friend yesterday, and she was lamenting that she had opportunities to connect with friends but thought she didn’t have the time to join in. I’m sure a lot of people feel this way. For those who are still working and had to add home schooling kids or some other new duty to an already full day, it can feel overwhelming and impossible to find time for yourself. And yet that is exactly what needs to happen for you to keep your cup full and make your emotional well-being a priority.

People have been setting up online parties with their friends and family to connect during this time of physical distancing. Does the thought of finding an hour in your schedule to do that seem impossible? Can you squeeze out 15 minutes? I don’t know about you but 15 minutes texting or chatting with a friend is all it takes to re-invigorate me. How would it feel to say to your connection buddies “I really want to join in but only have 15 minutes to share, would that be ok?” I always say “Fifteen minutes of something is better than nothing.”

Ask for what you need. Another friend was struggling with feeling like she was doing everything around the house. So she asked her family to chip in. Because she was able to ask in a productive way, it was a productive conversation. How we feel about asking for help or time for self-care can determine how we ask for what we need. Creating a team atmosphere might be a new (scary?) idea. Letting something fall to the wayside might be hard. Can you find one thing that can wait (the dishes, laundry, vacuuming are some ideas) and give yourself 15 minutes of peace or connection?

Try to make self-care a priority item on your to do list. Taking care of yourself as well as you take care of your friends and family sends an important message. It says it’s important to value yourself as much as you value others.