I have a quick tidbit of self-care for you today because, in fact, “quick” is the kind of self-care I’m rockin’ lately.
Quick because, “inbox zero” feels impossible when you’re taking care of tiny people.
Quick because the days often go by way too fast, and you can only do so much in between cleaning, cooking dinner and you know, keeping an eye on those tiny people.
But most of all, quick because QUICK WORKS! It works as a resilience-building self-care strategy when you’re in a pinch and need some quick relief.
If you’ve been here a while, you’ve heard me say it a million times already – your care doesn’t have to be extraordinary – it can be ordinary.
It can be big or small, a long time, or a short minute. In fact, you can think of it like that classic financial advice – diversifying your self-care practice is a winning strategy, because it gives you options.
So let’s try the quick option. When you’re right in the middle of chaos is when you need this stuff the most.
Here’s some quick fixes I rely on:
- Enjoying a hot cup of coffee in the morning with my mom (which usually means pouring 1/4 cup at a time, so I drink it before I get distracted with filling sippy cups, or “more cereal, please!” or wiping someone’s nose (or bum) every 3.5 seconds).
- Monotasking like a MF. This is one of my all-time fave strategies: and all it means is that you do one thing at a time. In other words, when I read a story to my daughter, I just read the story (not think about the grocery list). When I make dinner, I just make dinner (not respond to email while the water’s boiling). When I’m watching the babies, I just watch them (not fold the laundry). To be clear, this is not my norm and doesn’t always feel good – productivity is important! – but when I’m under the weather (or about to burst), moving more slowly makes a difference.
- Laying down for five minutes, alone. Sometimes when the fray has settled (or, ahem, while it’s still going on), I head into the bedroom, close the door, throw on some white noise, and just. lay. still. (PRO TIP: If you can’t escape to lay down, just being still consciously for a few minutes helps a lot, too.)
This week, find something quick that works for you. Recognize the opportunity you have. Honor the accomplishment after you do it. And remember, every mindful self-care moment is a deposit in your ERA (= Emotional Resilience Account).
