Our bodies are the best resource we have. However, self-care is one of the first things to go when our schedules are busy. While we strive to climb ladders, achieve goals and tackle the “to-do list”, we tend to overlook the opportunities for an on the go tune-up, to help our bodies and minds support us on our journey.
Most of us can agree that our current lifestyle may not lend itself to full spa days followed by candlelit dinners, (although I do recommend scheduling days like that). Don’t push self-care tasks to tomorrow!
Emotional, Mental, and Physical Health all need maintenance and a little goal setting. All of these areas of self-care are interconnected. Think of them as the sides that make up a triangle that makes you a whole person. If any of the sides are shortened, weakened or compromised, the strength of the triangle is diminished. So let’s get on with the business of self-care and living our best lives.
Take a minute and really be in the moment. How are you feeling? What matters most to you right now? Put a pin in that that thought. Then use it as a basis for some of the scenarios to come.
Gratitude
It all begins with being grateful. Even if you are not where you want to be. There is a shred of something that you can be grateful for. The fact that you have a minute to read this, is something to be grateful for. This is not an exercise to make you feel guilty and say “don’t be sad, don’t want more, because look at what you have!” this is more so about shifting mindset so you can realize what you have to work with. Jot down 5 things you are thankful for.
Deep Breaths and Mini Meditation
Set an intention. Focus on a goal. Imagine you have a large box with 10 squirrels in it, then throw a handful of nuts in the box…. the chaos that ensues if a fantastic illustration of what our minds are like. We have to be in the driver seat and make incremental changes so we can calm the squirrels.
When I wake up, I refuse to jump out of bed. It has not always been that way. I used to hear my alarm, hop out and frantically start my day with my heart racing, my aspirations and goals for the day left in the wake behind me. That is an awful start to a day. Instead, now I hear the alarm, wake up and take a deep breath and repeat some words that I want to focus on for the day. Today’s words were: Peace, Light, and Productivity. Try it. Then try it again and again. Wrangling the squirrels is a task that requires repeated practice. Like stretching. Not many people can just drop into the splits, but if you made a habit of stretching for 5 mins each morning, imagine what your split ability would be in 3 months.
Mini Self Care Moments
What small gestures can you make to put a smile on your own face? Or what small gestures would show you that you care about you? Is it getting up 20 minutes early so you can get a cup of hot coffee and enjoy it while watching the sunrise? Is making sure that you stay hydrated because you know you do your best work when you feel your best? I decided that for me, one of my mini moments is a night time routine, even when I am tired. I know, I know that sounds counterintuitive, why stick to a routine when tired? But for me a quick shower with my favorite smelling body wash followed by applying my eyelash growth serum is my mini way of saying “I care about me”.
Think about the last two days, now imagine you see someone treating your BFF like you treated your body, would you run up and hug them, or want to punch them in the face? If you are clenching your fist, allow me to suggest that you need an improved self-care routine.
Come up with 3-4 moments for each “leg of the triangle” “Emotional, Mental and Physical health. Decide what works for you and stick with them.
Celebrate the wins along the way!
Write them – celebrate them! It is often said, that you cannot improve that which you do not measure. I challenge you to consider the fact that you cannot celebrate that which you do not account for. Keep a small journal or use the notepad on your phone and capture 3 things every day that you can celebrate. “I took the stairs instead of the elevator”, “I followed up with a friend that has been on my mind’, or “I didn’t throw a full on tantrum in the middle of a meeting that should have been an email”. Whatever the size of the win, record it and celebrate, it.
Try these on the go self-care tips, then build your own toolkit that supports you being a well-balanced triangle. Let me know what you come up with, I can’t wait to hear from you in the Bombshell Business app!
About the Author
Kirbee Miller
Kinimi Kitchen
Bombshell Business Lifestyle Expert
Kirbee Miller’s heart is in the kitchen. Cooking and baking have been monumental parts of her life since childhood. Her best memories are in the kitchen! Great food is an opportunity to authentically connect. Developing new recipes and orchestrating flavor profiles with delicious ingredients is her way to channel passion and creativity into every bite. Food should be flavorful, creative, beautiful and most importantly, should leave an impact! There are few things better than the seconds of contemplative silence that follow the first bite of delicious food …that never gets old. She’s been cooking since she was 5, and has not stopped since. She launched an online cooking show to share her inner foodie via my brand KiNiMi Kitchen!
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