I've officially restarted my year!
A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you that I felt OFF – fatigued, foggy, and depleted from the recent challenges I’d faced. I decided to spend some time practicing extreme self-care. For two weeks, I plunged into doing whatever felt nourishing to me – mind, body and spirit. I drank green juices and plenty of water. I fed myself nourishing foods and eliminated junk. I moved my body regularly - but without pushing myself. I took Epsom salt baths. I napped. I had acupuncture. I got a massage. I meditated. I journaled – a lot. I went on a date night with my husband. I had coffee with a friend. I had dinner with a group of friends. And then I had drinks with some more friends. I went on a beautiful hike with my family. I planned a girls’ trip with my mom. I focused on what I needed and what I wanted with fervor. Does this sound self-indulgent? I did it anyway. I told you it was extreme. But I felt that my body was letting me know that it needed something extreme. Here’s the crazy thing. Instead of falling into a pit of slothful selfishness, I found I had more energy - not only for myself but for everyone else in my life. I had the capacity to hold space for my teens’ ups and downs. I was able to show up for the people around me with more patience, more presence, and more love. Shockingly, I even ended up doing MORE work. I got MORE done. I think a lot of us still have this false belief that taking care of ourselves is selfish. We believe if we let ourselves do “whatever we want”, we’d lie in bed and never get up. What I’ve found to be true is the opposite. When we take the time to truly nurture ourselves, we are better for ourselves AND everyone around us. If you’re feeling OFF and needing a restart in your life, I’m inviting you to turn inward and experiment with your own version of extreme self-care. You can start by asking yourself these questions. What does my body need? What does my spirit need? What do I want right now? Let me know what you discover in the process.
Love and light,
Mendy
