Recently I have let things slip.
I’ve been busy with many projects and commitments, and learning new skills. And in that busyness I have forgotten to take care of myself. I have been working through lunch (which Argo my dog hates), rushing my time on my mat, and as a result feeling even more tired and overloaded.
While I am an advocate for yoga, mindfulness and general wellbeing, I am only human too. In taking care of others I can easily slip into doing mode, and I forget to stop and care of my needs. I think it happens to many of us, mother, wife, partner, friend, carer etc. We all have roles that put us in the position of holding responsibility for another person(s) needs, while also managing all the other facets of our ever evolving lives.
We are all more busy than ever. There are more demands on us, and people expect us to be on all the time.
But it’s ok.
Why?
While we might not be do stop the inevitable from happening, i.e. we get super busy and forget to take care of our own needs first, when we notice we can do something to rectify the situation.
I think this is so important. Otherwise it’s easy to end up in a spiral of shame or guilt, and that can shift us further away from changing things.
For me it’s about stopping and taking stock. Noticing what has shifted, and what I can change now to help shift the dial in the right direction.
For me it was taking the afternoon off, going for a long walk with Argo (like a good dog mama), followed by a bath with epsom salts, and then journalling. I use journalling to reflect and clear my head so that I can focus on what next.
So I made a commitment to myself of things that I would do to reset my supportive practices, and take care of myself.
Some of the things I have agreed to do are; long walks in nature with Argo in silence, putting my phone away at a certain time of the night, going to bed early (this one is huge for me), clearing enough time for my practices so they are not rushed, and time with friends.
Writing it down allows me to come back to it and to remind myself of what is important to my mental health and wellbeing.
If you have been feeling this way too, be compassionate with yourself, give yourself permission to stop and take stock. Then commit to making time for the things you need to help you feel strong, and grounded.