If you’re anything like me, your days are intensely busy…your nights filled with various activities. And it can be TOUGH to really take care of yourself, while nurturing a business (or your work) AND nurturing your home life. But the important of self care during busy times is underrated. I don’t think you can even possibly understand it, until you’ve done it properly. And you’re left thinking…why on EARTH didn’t I do that before — actually take care of myself when I needed to most?
That’s right! When you actually take of YOU, everything else is likely to fall into place. And what you do to make it through these times is really up to you and what works in YOUR world. But here are some examples:
1) Take 15 minutes
Sometimes a 15 minute breather is all it takes to fuel you to the next level of your day. Don’t use it to chug coffee or smoke cigarettes. Do something that is TOTALLY DO-ABLE in 15 minutes. You will be shocked at how rejuvenating it can be. For some people it’s a few Sun Salutations. Others some deep breathing. Or perhaps you play guitar. Or maybe you read for 15 minutes or go on Pinterest.
2) Housework-Smousework
If you can somehow justify to your husband that a housecleaner is worth EVERY PENNY (which they are) then hire one. Even if it is only once every two weeks. Somehow knowing the toilets are clean enough to eat off of, even for a day, is life-changing.
Own a dishwasher? USE IT. Pots, pans, everything — even if you have to run it 3 times a day. If you have kids, wouldn’t you rather have that time to do stuff with THEM, rather than standing by the sink? I use mine every day.
Speaking of kids, you are not their slave. Get them in the habit of doing SOMETHING — EVEN if they are little. Dusting is the perfect job for tiny hands. Garbage can be taken out by teens or tweens. Everyone puts away their own clean clothes. Any of them can put dishes in the dishwasher (even if you have to re-arrange). Get them to help in the kitchen too. Mixing, stirring, pouring.
Make a schedule. I don’t mean some Type-A schedule a room per day of week, or anything major. Just get a scheduled sense of what to do certain days. Toilets on Tuesdays, Plant-Watering on Thursdays, Laundry on Sundays (and what doesn’t get done waits until next Sunday). Maybe Mondays clean the tub a little WHILE you’re in the shower.
And just know that as long as you have kids around, the house won’t be spotless. Try and find a way to let it go.
3) Schedule something amazing for yourself 1 – 3 times per week
No one can deny how important that is, but what is it you want to do? If it’s an hour to 1 1/2 hours then there is really no excuse. Time for a bubble bath, or maybe a yoga class. Maybe for you it’s grocery shopping ALONE. Or coffee with a girlfriend. I hear from women (moms especially) that they never have time for any of these things Not true. You will be more efficient if you care for yourself, period!
4) Meal Plan or Un-Meal Plan
This looks differently for EVERYBODY.
Meal Planning works well for a lot of people. It works for us in a vague sort of way. But you might be good at knowing exactly what your family will want on what days. It makes shopping a whole lot easier. And it saves money, too. If making a meal plan for an entire week doesn’t work for you than try doing it for 3 days at a time.
UnMeal Planning is another way of doing things. It’s all about calculation. Figure out how many people you need to feed each day, and buy supplies based on that. Then keep meals simple and you always know you have enough protein and veg for everybody. The other way to do it is to schedule a day per week where meals are specified. Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Chili Friday – and so on.
Simplify. Come up with easy things to make and make them often.
- Overnight oats are life-changing — such an nutritious thing to wake up to ALREADY DONE.
- Eat leftovers for lunch.
- Figure out how to make dinner with 5 ingredients — the simpler the better.
- Or learn how to use your slow cooker or buy a pressure cooker.
- Prep meals ahead and freeze them that way — no cooked, but prepped. (Marinate meat and pop into ziplock bags — even include pre-prepped veg and store them all together.)
- Don’t underestimate the beauty of the instant snack — hummus (bought or homemade) with Mary’s crackers, cut up veggies and keep in fridge all week, roasted nuts, roasted chickpeas, hard boiled eggs, organic Greek yoghurt.
- Make a giant salad — the kind that lasts all week — to eat for lunch.
5) Create a Master List
Set a bit of time aside and write down EVERY SINGLE meal or dish or food idea you have for a quick reference. When you feel busy, or unmotivated, or can’t think of anything everyone would like, refer to the Master List.
At first you won’t remember any dish. That’s normal. Just come up with some favourites and get them down on paper. But as things pop into your head, or you try a new dish that’s successful, write it down. Eventually you may even categorize. Slow cooker or pressure cooker meals. Handy out-of-fridge snacks. Lunchbox items.
It’s so wonderful to reference when you feel like you JUST CAN’T EVER DECIDE on anything. And it makes planning a whole lot simpler.
6) Sleep — No Matter What It Takes
The other thing that kicks our butts — not getting re-fuelled by one of the most essential human needs. SLEEP. If you have a business and have young kids you are BOUND to be affected by this. If you have babies at home, you likely feel like their nap time is the ONLY time you can get work done. But you need to sleep. Not 4 or 5 hours a night, but eight. Or seven minimum. Especially during the colder months. So that might mean you are napping with your kids. Or going to bed at 8pm. Or choosing sleep over Netflix.
The thing is, when we aren’t getting the nutrients we need, we don’t work as efficiently. When we don’t take the time to de-stress we can’t properly digest our food and nutrients go unassimilated and our digestive system suffers. And now eating properly causes MORE stress. And more stress creates havoc with our blood sugar levels, making us crave more sugar, which creates more stress. It’s a pretty crappy, endless cycle.
And sometimes we just need a re-set. I get that. That’s why I HUGELY RECOMMEND Fuck Dieting. It’s an excuse to take care of yourself for a whole month. And it may only be 30 days, but a lot can happen in that time. Because it will feel stressful at first, but once you begin removing the congesting foods that make you feel rotten, and begin fuelling yourself with amazing food that energizes, there is no turning back. Then you KNOW what it feels like to feel good. You KNOW how you can work more productively and have it change everything. IT really is an amazing, wonderful thing.
How do you open yourself up to receive what the universe has for you?
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