The Busy Girl's Guide to Self Care
Raise your hand if you personally feel victimized of all the meetings that should've been just an email. This is the truth in corporate life and as of now, culture still dictates that the busier you are, the better. The truth is, especially for women working in open layout spaces, that we need our space, our time and our sanity.
Always take the time
to self care
You can't give what you don't have, is a recurring though when it comes to 1) making sure we perform our work duties, take care of loved ones, do household chores. On top of that, society expects us to have bouncy hair, good figure and a positive disposition all the time. What's a girl got to do? My answer is always self care. This is in no way a call for selfishness, but rather, taking care of ourselves first so we have the energy to take care of others, too.
1. Unplug. My biggest learning this year is that anyone who burns twice at a time burns half as long. If I keep expending myself twice the rate of how things should be, I would end up burning out soon. Daily life as it is is stressful, and due to the political climate these days, getting on to Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram can be a little discombobulating. Sparing ourselves from the vitriol of social media and politics, micro politics {at work or community}. One time this week, I just watched Younger for a few hours without checking my social feeds and it was the most relaxing time of my life.
2. Develop an offline hobby. One of the best things I discovered recently the joys of calligraphy. If you know me, I am not artsy at all. I hate drawing despite trying many times in varying levels like doodles, watercolor, digital drawing, but now, with calligraphy, it's like it's not too intense and I can use my hands. I love it! It relaxes me a lot too.
3. Spend time with your loved ones and play with dogs or kids. The best thing about my day is always coming home to Mike and Butters. Butters just runs to me every night as soon as I get to the door and I'm so grateful for his unconditional love. We play fetch every night and we just chill on the sofa until Mike calls me for dinner, a ritual he does for me every night for the past year or so. It's this moment that makes me forever grateful that I have a home to come to every night, who waits for me patiently before eating.
4. Get a massage. Only 1 word for this: Zennya.
5. Indulge in your guilty pleasure. Mine is chick lit and chick series. Like I said, I locked myself the other day for a few hours to watch Younger and watching Sutton Foster play Liza, a forty year old pretending to be a 26 year old {for good reason} is such a relaxing thing to do. I completely forgot about the stresses of MNL life for a bit at least. Watch the trailer below. Or you know, read some chick lit.
6. Have your alone time with your faith. It may be in the form of going to church, listening to a church podcast {which I do anytime I'm stressed and worried} and rely on a force bigger than me. Because in the end, we can't do it all alone.
Have a great Sunday, girls xx