You might not have time for self-care.
And that’s perfectly okay. Remember our motto: No blame, no shame. Plus my new mantra and an update on outsourcing kitty litter responsibilities to a robot.
Everyone is busy. I don’t think I know anyone who isn’t at least sometimes busier than they want to be or who doesn’t struggle to make time for self-care.
Self-care, when swamped, can become yet another thing we feel behind on or believe that we’re not doing a good enough job of. In that context, self-care becomes stressful, not stress relief.
(And, notably, one of the most distressing types of stress for humans is high time pressure or framing time as scarce. See more here (https://theconversation.com/time-pressure-may-be-a-better-way-to-measure-work-life-balance-50199) ).
Today I’m here to say: You might not have time for self-care right now, and that’s perfectly OK. Self-care is a journey with ebbs and flows. There is no perfection in self-care. The most important thing is to allow this to be okay: No blame, no shame!
My own low self-care week (on purpose)
I’m completing an M.Ed. degree in Health Professions Education and have procrastinated all semester on my current class’s major paper. With my behind-ness stressing me out weekly, I blocked off this past week to finish it, boot-camp writing retreat style. There was zero self-care, which was a purposeful decision. My paper is finished, and my first draft has been submitted to my instructor.
Who I really hope does not return it to me soon because I will puke if I have to see it again anytime soon…
What else is new around here?
As mentioned a few weeks ago, I made an expensive self-care investment in a robot kitty litter for my feline crew. I’m happy to report it has been a game changer.
Switching it up from my usual non-fiction fare, I’m on a mystery novel kick. I love escaping with a good book. I’m reading a book by Deanna Raybourn, but I’ve recently discovered Louise Penny and am hooked.
My lab has some of our awesome self-care research under review, and I hope we can share it with you soon!
Last, I am practicing resting my body more often – I am a chronic time pressure sufferer, with constantly tense muscles to prove it. My therapist often asks me, “Is it okay to just rest now, for a little bit?” and we practice in session. My new mantra for myself: “Just be.” I don’t always have to be doing something, but it’s a hard habit to break.
In self-care solidarity,
