Dear Yogilators!
Tomorrow is the start of a new month AND the meteorological beginning of spring! So, after February’s “Green Smoothie” and “Plank” challenges, I noticed that I ran out of breath very often, thinking about too many things I have to do besides holding the planks and preparing the smoothies. I even caught a cold and had to take a break from both challenges.
I saw this forced break as my reminder that self-care is certainly not something we just do naturally. Instead, in today’s busy world, we have to “allow” ourselves to “take-off” time for self-care. Isn’t this amazing and sad?
So this month, I prepared a calendar/schedule with self-care items for each day and you are more than welcome to join me! 🙂
Of course, those are only ideas. You don’t have to do exactly the things I am suggesting. Reading a book might not be relaxing to you at all and you’d much rather enjoy going to the sauna, hang out with friends, or going to an amusement park.
The idea is to think of something that makes YOU feel good and helps YOU relax. Sometimes just the simple exercise of saying NO to people can be practicing self-care.
Why is self-care important? Oh boy, there are many good reasons..,but here are some examples:
It helps you to …
- Reach and maintain homeostasis, a general state of well-being (physically & mentally)
- Unlock gratitude and to stay happy
- Slow down and listen to your body again
- Be less affected by stress and difficult people
- Be more attentive to yourself, your goals, your dreams
- Be more productive and motivated
- Be energized and have “fully loaded batteries” every day
- Be more mindful and attentive of your surroundings and environment (You can only help others when you are in center with yourself)
- Increase self-awareness, self-reflection and self-development
- [WE WILL SEE AT THE END OF MARCH and continue the list] 🙂
So, here are my ideas. You can print this calendar or put it as your background picture on your desktop. It’s totally up to you!
[Here is the pdf print version: MARCH-2015.pdf]
PLEASE let me know if you are joining me! I’d like to hear your updates and thoughts as you go through the “challenge.”
I will post something about the “Self-Care Item of the Day” on my YOGILATION fb page every day. So please make sure to follow me there, too 🙂
Now, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! 🙂 Get ready to be good to yourself (finally again)! 🙂