flewmymind replied to your post âWhat do you do when you need some major self-care?â
I think there're two forms for self-care: preventative and reactive. I'm working the preventative part, but scheduling fun and restful things helps. For reactive: pause, take a deep breath, go through the "have you done X lately" checklist (eaten, had water, slept, moved, showered, etc.), then choose one thing that would make how I feel better. This can include setting a timer for 20 mins and doing a thing I've been avoiding for
Err, sorry, hit the wrong button. Doing the thing I've been avoiding for those 20mins. It can also look like a nap, watching something funny, calling a friend, writing, taking a walk, exercising, knitting, letting myself cry (oddly, often while doing my dishes), etc.
Watching Mr. Rogers helps too; the talk about emotions and how we might deal with them still resonates.
I find action, doing something, sometimes anything different, helps as reactive self-care. Preventative looks more like pro-active kindness to myself, which is both doing the thing and taking time to recharge. Hope these help!
Nonnie, some more tips for you