Prioritizing Self Care (So Your Neck Won’t Hurt)
I have been spending extra time with my chiropractor because have a pain in the neck. Why do I have a pain in the neck? Stress. I know this. How do I know? I’ve been juggling 50 things for a while, and I haven’t been prioritizing self care. I KNOW BETTER.
Work, family, finances, marriage, moving, building a house, the kids’ education and sports, nearly every aspect of life has presented a challenge over the last several months that has been weighing on me. That’s a LOT of stress. I typically have a great routine that works for me including a morning routine, healthy eating, hydration, meditation, journaling, social connection, exercise, yoga, outdoor walks, and a consistent bedtime. Now the kids are out of school and frequently have late sports and it feels like my life has gone off the rails. The late games have made dinner later (and less healthy,) bedtime has been later, wake time has been later, the morning routine less consistent, and you get the idea. It’s all shifted to a less than ideal season.
And now I have a pain in the neck.
I’m making a commitment to myself to make my own self care a priority. Because when I have a pain in the neck, I can BE a pain in the neck. I don’t want to be a pain in the neck! So I’m committing to at least TWO forms of self care daily until I feel like myself again.
Here are FIFTY ideas that I love that I’m checking of one by one and incorporating many of them in my personal self care routine:
1. Get a massage.
2. Go for daily walks outside.
3. Prioritize my morning routine.
4. In bed reading by 9pm nightly.
5. Have a consistent wake time.
6. No screens after 7:30pm.
7. Do yoga twice a week.
8. Snuggle with Nacho (our Frenchie).
9. Have a good cry and let it go.
10. Try a new, healthy recipe.
11. Meditate twice a day.
12. Take stretch breaks throughout the day.
13. Listen to music more.
14. Dance party at least twice a week.
15. Visualize myself achieving my goals.
16. Purge and declutter.
17. Wear clothes that make me feel amazing.
18. Go on a date.
19. Get a mani pedi.
20. Spend more time in the woods.
21. Cuddle.
22. Wear skin softening facemasks three times a week.
23. Watch something that makes me laugh.
24. Give myself some compliments in the mirror.
25. Call a girlfriend to talk it out.
26. Burn candles.
27. Drink a smoothie, tea or beet juice.
28. Draw or color with the kids.
29. Buy myself some beautiful flowers.
30. Take a nap.
31. Get creative (paint!)
32. Play a game.
33. Put on my pajamas early.
34. Say no to things I don’t really want to do.
35. Use my essential oils.
36. Send a friend a gift.
37. Practice my positive affirmations.
38. Slowly eat some dark chocolate.
39. Do breathwork.
40. Read something inspiring.
41. Sing.
42. Make plans to go see a favorite band live.
43. Go exploring.
44. Sit still and soak up the sunshine.
45. Go swimming.
46. Bake.
47. Play on a sports team.
48. Take in the sunrise and sunset.
49. Do something totally new.
50. Hug my loves. Extra long.
Which self care practices are calling your name? What would you add to the list? What can you and I drop so that we don’t have to have an emergency visit to the chiropractor for our pains in the neck? Let me know what you to do take good care of yourself, please!
