To commemorate half the year being over, my extended family on my mom’s side used to celebrate “Christmas in July ” at my cousin’s lake house. Lots of food, boat rides, fireworks and wacky gift exchanges would ensue over the course of a weekend. Everyone was relaxed, smiling and laughing, without a worry in the world. Quite different from some people’s December affairs I am sure. And, face it, totally opposite how peeps live day in day out. No time to chill for you, even on a lovely summer weekend.
At this July halfway point, Wise Goddess, how much self-care time have you accrued? I’m here to remind you that at a bare minimum you should have practiced “you time” once a week. That would mean you have accumulated around 26 chill days, feeding mind, body and spirit. Ideally you would have more but I’m not going to push it. If you are like most women you still put yourself last. It is a hard habit to break but one you must keep working at in order to stay healthy, physically and mentally. You should aspire to be in Zen mode more often than not, rested, calm and happy. The alternative is burnout, where you are zapped of energy, have trouble sleeping and nothing brings you joy. And before long you end up sick.
SECOND HALF COMEBACK
Here’s my proposal for the rest of the year, find “you time” each week. I’m not asking for an all day affair, though maybe one day each month you consider it. I’m talking about accumulating moments within a day or spread throughout a week where you stop to “smell the roses”. Learn to recognize when you’re pushing yourself too hard. Headaches, stiff neck, tense shoulders, overwhelming fatigue, mindless eating, anger, anxiousness and sleep issues can be signs that your days are out of balance. Instead of continuing the pattern that led to these issues, begin introducing yourself to “recovery moments”. These are mental health boosts that can be super simple and take mere minutes to enjoy.
SIMPLY JOYFUL
I’m going to stick with the term “recovery moments”. After all, in some respects it’s like you are addicted to stress. No one else can do what you do, as well as you do. So, that must mean you can’t ever have a break because the whole world will fall apart, right? WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!! Just like a recovery program you need to take one day at a time, baby steps, literally live in the moment.
Here are some “recovery moment” ideas to consider as you wean yourself from the powerful grip of “I am the only one who can do it” syndrome.
- Go Outside – Walk barefoot in the grass, listen to the birds chirp, watch a sunset or sunrise, sit on a porch swing and daydream
- Color – Yes, just like when you were in grade school, except get yourself an adult coloring book. Some of the designs are beautiful.
- Put on a Facemask – It’s a treat for you and beneficial for your skin.
- Get a Houseplant – Watering, spritzing, pruning and talking to a plant are all great ways to calm your nervous system and it helps keep your air cleaner.
- Grow Vegetables – This idea involves a bit more work to set up but research shows cultures that have veggie gardens routinely live to be 100.
- Dance with Abandon – Put on a favorite, energetic song and dance for a few minutes. To get you started, dance with me here.
- Write in a Gratitude Journal – Keep it simple by recording one beautiful moment, one delicious moment and one funny moment out of your day.
- Look at Pics of Cute Animals – Studies show it can increase mood and decrease stress.
- Have a Good Cry – It can be one of the best ways to improve anxiety levels.
- Daydream – Find your inner child, stare off in the distance and think about whatever comes to mind.
That’s It
Now that you see how easy it is, “recovery moments” are going to become the highlights of your weeks ahead. Your goal is to accumulate more than you had in the first half of the year and the lazy days of summer are the perfect time to get the ball rolling.
Zen(ned) may not be listed in the dictionary, Wise Goddess. But, for the second half of the year, it is going to become the go to word in your vocabulary to describe your life.
