I did something last week which was totally out of the ordinary and felt so incredibly grounding, energizing and loving… I got a massage on a weekday, and it might have changed my life.
Whenever I treat myself to a massage it is always on the weekend and of course the place is packed. This time the experience felt even more special, since I was the only person there.
When I was in the corporate world all I ever wanted was freedom. I never understood why I had to be at work for a certain amount of days or time to do a good job. Some days I needed more time to get my job done, but on some days I spent a lot of time searching the web.
Once I left and started my own business, it felt so liberating to go to a yoga class during the day and meet up with friends for lunch. But somewhere along the way I got caught up in what I like to call my getting shit done phase, and forgot that in order to support all of you my first priority has to be myself and taking extra special care of me.
Taking care of myself has been my priority since we got back from our wedding. I know that I can’t be a wife and a mother to our puppy, when I am stressed out and sick so I decided to make some changes in my life.
I haven’t been sick since October, and this is the longest time I have gone without being sick my entire life.
Here are some ways that I have created more personal freedom in my life which has helped me stay healthy and sane this year!
Take A Time Out
Taking a time out is just giving you permission to do things that you enjoy but never do enough of, like massages, reading your book, taking a walk, having a glass of wine or eating that piece of cake.
Giving you a time out is just taking a nice pause on whatever you have going on in your life, and is necessary so you don’t feel overwhelmed or anxious.
What kind of time out can you do this week?
You Have Time
So often when I am coaching my clients I get pushback when I suggest that they need to take more time for themselves. Trust me I get it, I used to be racing against the clock until I burned out.
We are so busy with our lives but if we were to look closely on what we are spending our time on, the majority of our time is taking care of other people either at work, at home and in our relationships.
Whatever time we have left is not enough for us. Usually by the time we get home we are exhausted and tend to sit on the couch and veg instead of enjoying our personal time.
I encourage you to do two things, first decide what small things in your day make you feel alive and happy, and then create time in your schedule to do those things. Some non-negotiable things that I do every day are using the Neti Pot, Meditation, Going For A Quick Walk and Laughing. If I do those things every day, then I feel more grounded and calm.
Play More
At some point in my life I forgot what it feels like to play. My hubby is a good reminder of taking life less seriously. He loves to dance and shows off his dance moves when he gets home from work, he might be slightly embarrassed to read this, but even though I don’t always join him it reminds me to play.
Having a puppy is also a great reminder to play more. She is constantly smelling things, good or bad, running up and down the street and she literally prances when she walks.
When was the last time you skipped instead of walking? How can you play more and have more fun in your life? It can be as simple as singing loud in your car to coloring or even talking in an english accent.
Relax, life is way to short to be so serious all of the time and this is something that I remind myself all the time.
Be Kind To YOU
This is something that took me a very long time to understand, but I was causing myself so much extra stress and anxiety by being mean to me in the form of pressure.
I have mentioned this before but I am a recovering perfectionist and I now consciously observe the way that I treat myself to ensure that only kind and loving thoughts are being said.
Sometimes my ego still gets in the way, but breath work and meditation have allowed more kind and loving thoughts into my life. Whenever a not so kind thought comes into your mind about yourself, stop and turn that into a positive thought, you can even start a journal and create more loving thoughts for yourself. Try whatever feels the best for you and start there.
In the comments below I’d love to hear how you are taking care of you more this week.
Big Hugs & Health,
Katie
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