Three Ways to Take Care of Yourself Right Now
Last night I played on the beach while the sunset. I felt like a kid again. Alive and free and not afraid of the future. I am so grateful for these moments. We need them to remind us of the simplicity of joy and wonder that can fill our hearts and make our soul rejoice in a life worth living.
2020 has been incredibly hard for all of us, to put it mildly. Each day is a test to remain strong and trust even when every part of our nervous system is yelling to run the other way. Believe me, I am feeling the intensity right alongside you. This is why taking care of ourselves in small ways is vital now for a healthy state of mind. Here are 3 simple practices I do throughout my week that nourishes me and helps me feel more balanced. I wanted to share in hopes it can help you too.
1. Be patient with yourself.
Remember you are allowed to be feeling overwhelmed right now. It’s ok to be stressed and frustrated and confused and upset. Feelings are NOT bad, it just means you are human! It is insane to force yourself “to just be positive” in attempts to drown out the fear. These are weird, uncertain times. The world is on it’s head. Have hope, but be gentle if you honestly just feel like shit right now and know we are all in this together.
2. Listen to what your body needs in the moment.
There is a lot of “stay calm” advice out there right now, and I get it…that is the ideal state to aim for. But if you are feeling agitated at the mere thought of calmness, I just want you to know you are not alone AND most importantly there is nothing wrong with you. You might need meditation in one moment. You might need to do a set of jumping jacks in another. We are in uncharted territory every damn day so there is NO. RIGHT. WAY. TO. BE. Listen to your body! It will tell you what it needs. Strike a balance between relaxation and aliveness and see what feels better for you.
3. Do something you love each day.
This is a radical act of SELF love. We all get caught in the grind of the daily to-do list, taking care of others and worrying about of our future that we rarely stop and say “I’m going to do something for me right now”. Even just for 5 minutes. Take a walk (without your phone) or sit and drink tea while staring out a window or read one chapter in that book you’ve been dying to read but never find the time. It can be that simple! Taking the time to put YOU first is a way to show yourself that you believe in your worthiness. And believe me, everyone in your life benefits when you are filled from the inside out.
It won’t happen tomorrow, probably not by next week but I promise you, if you continue to do these 3 things regularly, you will learn to love yourself deeper and have more patients for the ups and downs. And that is the thing that really radiates. Self love and inner worthiness.
And believe me, you are worth it!
Much love and strength,
Tara