Work, parenting, housekeeping, doctor’s appointments, family gatherings, and an endless list of responsibilities in your daily life can put you at the bottom of the “care for yourself” list. What do you do to recharge your batteries?
Like any machine or tool, it will only perform at optimum performance when cared for and maintained. Because we are different? Well, the truth is that we are not. It’s not uncommon to put ourselves last on the “to do” list and carelessness becomes the norm. I don’t know about you, but when I go too long without doing rejuvenating activities, I start to feel drained, moody, and resentful. It’s like it’s running on smoke instead of a full tank.
If you have ever flown, the stewardess talks about the use of oxygen masks. Her instructions are to put the mask on the face first before putting it on the children if there is a need for oxygen. I guess her reasoning is that they don’t want you to pass out before they can attend to your children. This same theory applies to all of us in our daily lives. Doing something that calms yourself, energizes you, connects you, energizes you, or is creative quiets the laundry list voice of things to accomplish that are on your mind.
The quantity is not as important as the frequency. If you take just 15 or 20 minutes a day to slow down and do something positive for yourself, you’ll reap rewards in the long run. After all, who is more important than you? Who is going to take care of your health and well-being if you don’t? Unfortunately, no one has the power or the ability to do it for you. The fundamental truth is that people who care about themselves with things that interest them personally negotiate and face life on life’s terms much more successfully and with lower levels of stress and anxiety.
I believe that our brains are designed to release daily doses of “good chemicals” into our bodies. Dopamine, cortisol, and neuroepinephrine, the natural opiates in our brains, are produced through neurotransmission that occurs when we engage in creative endeavors or physical exercise. You may have heard the term “runners’ euphoria” or “musicians’ bliss.” These are experiences that produce a feeling of altered state in the body as a result of the brain’s chemical response to the activity we are performing. So give yourself the gift of self-care and reap the rewards that come with it. You are worth it! Here are some ideas that you may find useful.
-Read a book just for fun.
-Take a walk (try to get a colleague to join you for lunch).
-Learn to play a musical instrument.
-Singing.
-Any form of physical exercise.
-Find a hobby (go to Hobby Lobby and peruse).
– Knitting, crochet or needlepoint.
-Dance (put on a CD and dance with total abandon).
Needless to say, the list could go on and on. Just do something. You’ll be glad you are.
