Caring for yourself
How to Care for Yourself, Without Breaking the Bank
I’ve just had the most perfect morning which included a bit of care for myself. I woke up early. Meditated and read my dear Dani Shapiro’s new magnificent memoir titled: Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage., read it in its entirety. Cried and highlighted repeatedly over different phrases that had jumped out at me. All of this while my phone was still in Airplane Mode from last night.
I’m not one who looks forward to things. But this morning, I have been looking forward to ever since I realized I’d be home alone with Hourglass only a few days after its release.
I have the rest of the day to myself. Heaven. My system does not recharge when it needs to be relational. Time alone today is medicine for my heart and my soul.? I barely wanted to turn the wifi back on, but needed to write my newsletter…
As they say, nothing pours from an empty pitcher. We have to fill our own pitchers first. Otherwise, we are only doing and giving out of obligation—not from our true desire—and that can inevitably lead to resentment.
I want to invite you to love yourself more and participate in caring for yourself. Through loving yourself, your capacity to love others actually increases. How do you love yourself more? Simply think of someone you love with all your heart, and imagine what it would be like to turn that love back toward yourself. Can you do it? If not, practice until you can take all of that love into your heart. You deserve it. I mean it. Remember: You don’t have to be perfect. No one is—not even that person you love so dearly, even if that person is a child.
Open your heart to the belief that you can care for yourself the way that you deserve. Open your ability to receive. Increase your “havingness” level. Begin to imagine what it would be like to receive more. Notice your resistance. Give love to any parts of you that feel you don’t deserve. Why not you? Allow yourself to receive a little bit … and a little bit more … continuing to build on your ability to accept wonderful things into your life.
Now while you’re in this space of receiving I want you to think about some ways that you can care for yourself, replenish and rejuvenate yourself this week!
Here are some ideas:
- Go for a long walk on your own
- Take a hot bath with a privacy sign on the door
- Go to the park and people watch
- Play and snuggle with your pet
- Start a creative project…just for fun
- Turn on some music and dance
- Download a free guided meditation…and then listen to it
- Take a nap
- Spend time with a loved one whose companionship nourishes you
- Hang out in your garden
- Write or draw or color
- Have sex…with someone else, or yourself
- Binge-watch your favorite show
- Unplug! No phone or computer for a few hours, or even a whole day
- Read a book
- Laugh — listen to or watch your favorite comedy
- Meditate or pray
- Stay in your jammies all day
And now over to you! What is a method of caring for yourself that doesn’t cost a cent? Let me know right here!
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