Are You Too Busy to Practice Self Care?

As an African-American woman, practicing self care has been a learning experience. Self care isn't limited to getting your hair and nails done. Self care involves your entire being - mind, body and spirit.

Do you wake in the morning and jump right into work mode? When I was a caregiver for my father, I found it hard for me to put myself and my needs on my list of top 5 things to do. As I reflect back to childhood, this was a learned behavior. As a child with a strong desire to please my mother, I would hardly ever say no to any of her requests. If mom asked, I did it - no questions. This people-pleasing behavior carried through to many other relationships in my life and left me feeling overwhelmed and resentful at times. More recently, I have learned to take control of my time and allocate space for my well being. It's not always pretty or perfect, but I do the best that I can.

Amid all of the social unrest, racial injustices, and the pandemic, it's more important than ever to be mindful of taking time to care for yourself to release stress, recharge your mind and body, and reflect on your many blessings.

Self care is different for everyone so I've included a checklist that you (and I ) can use as a guide to living more holistically. It's not comprehensive, but it's a good start to creating a list of your own.

1. Take a walk through nature. The pandemic has given us a gift: time to slow down. Our lives were so busy before the stay-at-home orders were issued earlier in the year. Busy and productive are two different things, but we can discuss that at another time. If you are not getting enough Vitamin D, you need to get outside more. Head to a local park, touch the grass, and hug a tree. Yes! I hug trees.

2. Read a book or listen to an audiobook. Reading is an excellent escape. I use my public library to download books. I've been able to avoid scrolling through Facebook and Instagram as much by opening a good book and getting lost in the story.

3. Meditate. I used to struggle with meditating because it didn't look like everyone else's way of meditating. Over time, I learned what worked for quieting my mind, and by being gentle and patient with the process I have found peace and clarity that didn't exist before.

4. Eat healthy. This sometimes is hard. With planning, it's possible. Having a few easy, healthy go to snacks is a great way to keep the hunger away. For an easy fix with excellent results, try eliminating sugar from your diet (e.g. processed foods, bread, juice, etc.)

5. Physical activity. Movement produces kinetic energy, which can be converted into power. Even when you do not feel like moving, doing so will create more energy. Movement reduces stress and increases endorphins which is an excellent cocktail for increasing satisfaction in your life.