Self care - Are you worth it?

We all know that prioritising our health and self care is the most important thing, the “oxygen mask on first before your child’s” scenario on a plane. Knowing and doing is difficult. Am I being selfish? Surely as a mum / dad / parent / carer I need to take care of them first, then myself? My mind can go here.

Then I got Long COVID, and therein I truly learned my lesson’s. Not all at first, it took a lot of practice, yet the answer is, I absolutely Must to do my own self care first. It can look different for different days, yet it essential. It’s not just about “surviving”, it’s about “thriving”.

I have just been away at a Music Festival, and I get up earlier than most, so was able to do 1 ½ hours of self care, before others got up. This includes basic bodily needs, steep my tea’s, wake up my liver (special drink), then Meditation and Yoga stretching.

There are variables in all of these, if less time it’s a shorter meditation, or Yoga practice, yet only for a few days. If I don’t, it bites me, and my health and energy spiral downwards. My immune system dips & I pick up bugs.

It’s essential to put “extra energy in the bank”, my goal is to use 80% of my daily bank, then keep some in reserve. It’s all interconnected, if I’m in a relaxing environment, I use less, yet emotions drain me faster than a 20 minute walk, we are all unique.

During my Meditation and Yoga practice, I really listen in and do a “body temperature check”. I keep it simple, is it a GREEN for go, Amber for “caution” or “Red” for stop. If it’s a stop, then I prioritize me, tweak the next day’s schedule for “recharging myself”.

If I don’t stick to ME as the top priority, I cannot show up for anyone else. If I push through, I become grumpy and irritable (knowing I’m using up my reserves), then I really don’t like myself much. It’s not the best version of me. Today, I decided on a gentle swim, jacuzzi then sauna (leaving the marketing to do list behind), then get chatting in the sauna and have a new client wanting to come see me!!! I practice what I preach!

It’s really hard to cancel things I wanted to do, so important to put in the Fun stuff as well. Art feeds me, walks in nature (even short ones), always hugging my dog and ensuring I eat well = Good in and then good out. Doing this means I am in a better place

for sleep, unwinding closer to bedtime, then getting better sleep means I have more “in my battery” and start tomorrow with a Green go go go.

Am I worth it? YES. This took time, especially with my background as a carer, yet caring for me first is where it begins. Are you worth it? How do you start putting this self care into place? Find one thing that really “feeds your soul”, put this in for just 10 mins a day for a week, then check in and see how your week went.

It has taken 4 years to really adhere to this, do I slip up at times? Yes of course, yet I don’t beat myself up, I just accept that I “pulled into a layby” and took 5, add / recharge then head on down the road, smiling as I go.

July 26, Jaya Butler