Silence is self care.
Art is self care.
Walking is self care.
I sometimes post on my Instagram stories about finding small (non-yoga) moments in my day to recharge. Between working and mom-ing and cooking and the never-ending laundry, I often forget to notice my interior state. Like, I’ll suddenly realize that I’ve had to pee for an hour. Does that ever happen to you?
When I do remember to turn my attention to my energetic body - I often feel rushed, pressured, squeezed. In a word: stressed. Or, as my favorite yoga science nerd, Mary Richards, might put it: I find myself in a state of perpetual sympathetic nervous system up-regulation. Do you know that feeling?
So my homework assignment for you today is to make a list of the activities that bring your specific nervous system towards parasympathetic dominance. Comment below!
They can be small. For example, walking around the corner to throw the old newspapers in the big recycling bin. It’s only five minutes, but I take a few deep breaths, smell the fresh air, and notice the weather. All this tends to have a soothing effect on my energetic body.
Stimulation is not bad. On Monday morning, when my twins leave for Kindergarten, it feels thrilling to rush around the house getting everything done at once. But the question is, how do we come back down? How do we find balance?
Talk soon,
Lizzie
While I experienced the same pressures you mention when I was your age, the pressures don't decrease as you age. I am 78 now and find that the pressures just change. That's why I appreciate what you and your mother have taken the time to help us all with. Breathe, breathe, breathe and be grateful.
I totally relate to that, holding pee, holding breath, lifted shoulders, gritted teeth! Some things I do: I rub essential oil between my hands and inhale, look out the window at the bird feeders, have a slow cup of tea without any music or tv or background noise on, take a shower, go for a sea swim and just stand in the water hearing the birds, the water and look into the horizon.