SELF-CARE: WE ALL KNOW IT WE ALL LOVE IT AND WE ALL DEFINE IT DIFFERENTLY. PERSONALLY, I SUBSCRIBE TO THE DEFINITION OF SELF-CARE THAT I HEARD ON MY FAVORITE PODCAST THE ART OF GETTING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
“SELF-CARE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO THAT MAKES YOU PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL. SELF-CARE IS NOT NECESSARILY MANICURES AND BUBBLE BATHS AND IT IS NOT ALWAYS LUXURIOUS OR EASY.” -TAGYST
SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO PERFORM AT A HIGHER LEVEL? WHEN I ASKED MYSELF THIS QUESTION, I DEFINITELY REARRANGED MY SELF-CARE LIST AND STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT MAKES ME PERFORM BETTER??
WELL FOR STARTERS MY TIME-CONSUMING MONTHLY MANICURES ARE NO LONGER SELF-CARE AND HAVE NOW BEEN MOVED INTO THE “TREAT YOURSELF” CATEGORY (ROUGH LIFE I KNOW!). CLEAN EATING AND EXERCISE HAS GONE FROM A (SOMETIMES DIFFICULT) LIFESTYLE CHOICE TO A WAY I GET TO MY HIGHER SELF, AND MY DAILY SKIN CARE REGIME IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST!
NOW HOW DOES ALL THIS APPLY TO YOUR HOME? WHEN LOOKING AT SELF-CARE IN THIS CAPACITY, I BELIEVE THAT TAKING CARE OF MY HOME MEANS TAKING CARE OF MYSELF. I ALWAYS FIND MYSELF TINKERING AROUND, REARRANGING AND SPRUCING THINGS UP WHEN I’M NEEDING TO DESTRESS OR EVEN TO DISTRACT MYSELF AND I KNOW I’M NOT ALONE.
WE ARE WHAT OUR ENVIRONMENT CONSISTS OF. IF YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS CLUTTERED, YOUR MIND MAY FEEL CLUTTERED, IF YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS LOUD YOUR BODY MAY HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING PEACE…YOU GET WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS. TAKING CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT IS TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND OUR ENVIRONMENT IS OUR HOMES.
NOW THINK OF THAT HOME TASK/CHORE/PROJECT/DISASTER THAT IS ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND AND THINK ABOUT HOW AMAZING IT WILL FEEL TO TACKLE IT! UH I CAN FEEL THE JOY WITH YOU. NOW THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH BRAIN SPACED YOU JUST FREED UP BY GETTING THAT DONE. OK SO NOW OUR HOMES ARE BETTER, OUR BRAIN IS FREED, OUR STRESS HAS GONE DOWN, WE HAVE SPARKED THE JOY…SOUNDS LIKE A HIGHER SELF TO ME!
OK COOL SO TAKING CARE OF MY HOME HELPS EVERYTHING ABOUT MYSELF AND FREES ME UP TO TACKLE OTHER THINGS IN MY LIFE, GOT IT! BUT LIKE, NOW WHAT?
1. Everything has a home (yes even junk!)
FIRST PRIORITY…ALL ITEMS NEED A HOME. WHEN SOMETHING LEAVES ITS HOME, IT MUST GO BACK AFTER USE. IF YOU ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING A HOME FOR AN ITEM, ASK YOURSELF IF IT IS REALLY NECESSARY TO KEEP. SOMETIMES WHEN WE “DON’T HAVE A PLACE” FOR SOMETHING, WE REALLY DON’T HAVE A PLACE FOR IT IN OUR LIVES.
2. Create a daily tidying routine
MESSES HAPPEN AT EVERY MIN OF EVERY DAY. STICK TO A MORNING OR NIGHT ROUTINE TO KEEP THEM AT BAY. CREATE A “DROP ZONE” IN YOUR HOUSE FOR RANDOM DAILY THINGS (THAT WE ALL NEED) TO KEEP THE MESS IN ONE AREA.
3. Do it now!
IF IT WILL TAKE LESS THAN 5 MINUETS, DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW! …I’M LOOKING AT YOU DISHWASHER
4. Schedule in time for that daunting project
I’M A SCHEDULE-AHOLIC, AND YOUR HOME IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DRINKS WITH THE GIRLS. PUT IT ON YOUR SCHEDULE, PREPARE FOR IT LIKE A MEETING AND WHEN YOU CROSS THAT OFF YOUR LIST, HELLO ACCOMPLISHMENT (AND HIGHER SELF!)
5. Get your family/roomies/kiddos involved!
IF YOUR HOME IS SHARED WITH OTHERS, GET THEM ON BOARD! THIS IS NOT A SOLO VENTURE AND IT WILL TAKE TEAM WORK TO MAKE THIS TIDY HOME DREAM WORK!
6. Purge
OK, MY FAVORITE PART HERE! WE TEND TO ACCUMULATE THINGS THAT WE ARE NOT EVEN AWARE OF UNTIL BOOM, EVERYTHING IS AT CAPACITY. THE THINGS AROUND US BECOME OUR NORMAL AND OVER TIME WE CAN BECOME ATTACHED TO THE CRAP THAT WE DON’T EVEN LIKE! SUCH A DRAIN ON OUR HIGHER SELF! IN MY OPINION, A GOOD PURGE SHOULD HAPPEN EVERY SEASON. OUR MINDS ARE IN DIFFERENT PLACES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND OUR ATTACHMENTS CHANGE. THIS PRACTICE WILL HELP KEEP THE INSIDES OF YOUR ROOMS LOOKING (AND FEELING) JUST AS GORGEOUS AS THE OUTSIDE
PRO TIP: IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT AN OBJECT, PUT IT ON PROBATION. KEEP IT UNTIL YOUR NEXT PURGE AND REEVALUATE THAT ITEM THEN. MAYBE IT PROVED ITSELF TO YOU AND IT CAN STAY, OR MAYBE IT REALLY IS NOT THE RIGHT SHAPE/SIZE/COLOR FOR YOUR ENTRY WAY, AND IT’S GOT TO GO.
7. Invest in organizational tools
OK PROBABLY WHAT EVERYONE LOOKS FORWARD TO…FUN CONTAINERS! THIS IS THE FINISH LINE OF HOME SELF-CARE AND IT IS OH SO SWEET. JUST LIKE CUTE WORKOUT CLOTHES MAKE US A TINY BIT MORE EXCITED FOR OUR WORKOUTS, CUTE ORGANIZATIONAL CONTAINERS MAKE US REAL EXCITED TO KEEP OUR SHIT CLEAN! I AM A HUGE FAN OF HAVING ALL STORAGE CONTAINERS MATCH. IT CREATES UNIFORMITY AND CALM WHICH OUR HIGHER PERFORMING SELVES LOVE!