Squeezing Self Care into a Busy Life

Why is it important?

Life can be a little bit like running a race at times, except that it morphs into an obstacle course when we aren’t looking and we are expected to do three obstacles all at once, while also helping our people with their obstacles.

It is no wonder that 77% of people report feeling stress that affects their physical health these days (American Institute of Stress). 

And when we keep running our race in such an unsustainable way, without giving ourselves the space or time to recover, it can cause our body to force us to take a break.

I have learned over time that getting ill is the way my body tells me that it is past time to take a break. But in an ideal world we would never get to this point, when our body is forced to do the equivalent of throwing a tantrum to get our attention.

Instead, we can regularly take care of ourselves in little ways to keep juggling everything in our lives and helping our people with theirs, while keeping our energy reserves high.

How to fit it into a busy life?

1.Little Things

This involves slipping a few minor changes into your day, that will restore your energy in small ways. Think about what activities give you energy. For me, my go-to activity to boost myself massively in a short time is sound. Whenever I have a bad day, or generally feel exhausted by life, I disappear into my room to play my crystal sound bowls or medicine drum for a while. 

But even if you have no free minutes in a day, and aren’t prepared to squeeze them in yet, there are still ways you can fit in your self care alongside other tasks. My other option to boost energy on the go is through music. I often blast music and sing my heart out while I cook dinner for my family in the evening.

Another “must” for me is meditation. I ensure I give myself at least 15 minutes of morning meditation. You wouldn’t leave a house without a morning shower, meditation is just as important. Meditation is my medication.

What activities boost your energy? And how can you incorporate them into your daily life?

And remember to regularly check in with yourself, to make sure that these are working well for you. Do you need to add something to your routine? Is an activity that used to give you a boost now doing nothing for you? It’s time to make changes! As we evolve and raise our frequency, so should our energy boosters.

2.Big Things

These are full days (or even longer!) that you take for yourself. Especially useful at the end of a busy period, perhaps post school holidays or a project due at work. 

The idea of this day is to fill it with whatever self care activities you need to get yourself back to 100%. This can be a few sessions with various practitioners, as it often is with me, or a day of reading in the living room, as my daughter prefers. Whatever you need to get your reserves full again. If you can’t fit in a whole day, think about doing 1 or 2 hours per week, with a massage, a bush walk or a pampering session with a practitioner.

And if you can get a few days, a retreat is always an excellent place to rejuvenate yourself, with people pampering you and days of holistic relaxation.

When you are at the point of no return

What if you are already at the breaking point? Burnt out, suffering from an illness or ailment? That’s when it is time to see a professional, to help you break that pattern and start a new way of life that allows you to care for yourself fully. 

The question you need to ask yourself, why are you last on the list? Do you feel you deserve to have a break, to truly rest? Or are you self-sabotaging yourself? 

Some people find that because they have hard-working parents, that hard-work equates to “love”. So they continually work and don’t stop, continually chasing “love” and approval. Sometimes we have to look deeper within ourselves to find these answers. 

Our sessions offer a range of options: from kinesiology, to a sound healing, to a transference healing. There is an option for everyone who is ready to make this change and start treating themselves the way they deserve.