Can you believe that the first quarter of January has already gone by?
It’s been one week, but I’m already feeling overwhelmed. Between running my tiny business, finding new projects to share, and creating new products, my days run short. I could use two extra hours or an army of Oompa Loompas to finish the things on my to-do list.
At the end of the day, I’m sometimes left wondering why I’m so tired and drained when there are still items left to do.
I bet this happens to you, too. And you’ve also probably heard the phrase “You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”
But you don’t always do that. It’s so easy to put ourselves on the back burner. Everything seems far more important than taking care of yourself, and before you know it, you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
Self care is crucial to living a happy and healthy life and can be as simple as going to bed early or spending an extra ten minutes in the sun with your cat.
Cats are great teachers, little bodhisattvas, masters of living in the moment. When they feel like playing, eating, sleeping, they do just that. They know the healing power of being in sunlight and how satisfying it is to throw stuff they don’t like off the counter.
Cats practice the art of self care daily.
This year I urge you to act like a cat and make yourself a priority.
But I don’t have the time!
May I suggest setting a timer each time you go on social media? When the day is over, add it all up. You’ll be surprised how much time you’ve spent scrolling through Instagram looking for cat memes.
Instead of wasting half an hour checking social media and guzzling down the Compareshlager the moment you wake up, take the time to sit with a cup of coffee and be present in the moment.
Julio, my meditation teacher, does this every morning to be in a state of awareness and start his day on a positive note.
Instead of watching the news, listen to a podcast. I’m a fan of Cathy Heller’s “Don’t Keep Your Day Job.” I listen to her while in my car. Her guests are inspiring, and I always get a lot of insights that I can implement in my life.
You see, not only should you take care of what you put into your body, but also what you put into your mind.
I’m not telling you to be oblivious about what’s going on around you or engage in toxic positivity. We all know there aren’t rainbow-farting unicorns around us. All I’m asking you is to use discernment. I mean, you wouldn’t eat a quart of ice-cream all by yourself only to feel miserable afterward, would you?
By tracking your self care habits, you’ll start making smarter decisions about how to spend your time wisely.
I created a simple tracker you can use over and over to check your progress and mood.
Make yourself a priority!
Sign up to get your FREE Self-Care & Mood tracker!
Are you ready to change your self care habits this year?
If you decide to use the tracker tag me on Instagram (@catandraven) and let me know how you’re doing.
Stay weird!
