Marching to the Beat of Radical Self-Care: Embracing a Month of Wellness

I hit a wall at the end of February. I’ve been feeling increasingly burnt out since the start of the year, and I’ve reached a point when I just can’t keep pretending {to myself as well as the world} that everything is OK. The last few years have been a lot, so much unprocessed trauma and it has finally caught up with me.

Physically my body is saying NO. Brain fog, fatigue like nothing on earth, crippling anxiety, diminishing appetite, just no mojo to do anything.

So I made a conscious decision that March would be a month to stop and take stock. To reassess my priorities and to really focus on me. I’ve dropped anything that is non-essential, and really scaled back life to make room for healing.

Marching to the beat of radical self-care means putting yourself first without guilt. Knowing that it is ok to prioritise our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Set boundaries, say no when needed, and unapologetically carve out time for activities that bring joy and fulfillment. Your well-being is non-negotiable!

I made a pact with myself to take better care of myself each day;

Move my body

I know that I feel better when I do something physical each day, yet despite completing a 30-day yoga challenge in January, February saw me barely stepping on my mat. I’m promising myself to move my body each and every day – in gentle ways that support healing. No HIIT classes right now, my body needs less stress. It might be a walk, it might be some yoga, it might be dancing in the kitchen to some great tunes. Anything that gets the endorphins flowing and makes me feel alive.

Nourish My Body

It’s easy to get stuck in a circle – you feel rubbish, and can’t be bothered to cook so eat junk, then you feel worse for eating the junk…. Focusing on whole, nourishing foods to give my body the nutrition it needs to heal. My appetite has been awful, so tempting myself with some delicious comfort foods, drinking plenty of liquids instead of just tea, and lots of seasonal fruit and veg.

Journal My Feelings

I’ve always journaled, I find it such a helpful tool to understand what I am feeling and delve into some inner work. On this healing journey, it’s vital so I can understand myself better and where I am at right now.

Get Outdoors

When I’m feeling low, stressed, anxious, or just overwhelmed with life, getting outdoors is a great way to reset how I’m feeling. Fresh air and some sunlight always recharge my batteries and help me to shift my mindset. On days where we’re not going out somewhere, we’ve just been taking a walk to the local park, or I know we’re doing something where we’ll be inside all day, then trying to find a spot on the way or way back where we can stop for a walk. Sitting outside first thing with my morning tea, or just a quiet five minutes in the garden amid the day’s mayhem.

Do something that fills me with Joy

Life is busy, four kids at home, home educating, working, running a house. Whole days run away with me, and it can have been a week since I’ve done something just for me. Yet I know that taking time for myself makes me a better person in general – filling my own cup so I can fill others! Finding some time each day to do something that fills my cup. Whether I can find 5 minutes or 30 – reading, writing, crochet, a long hot bath, getting time in my studio to just paint, chatting to a friend, watching a TV show.

Little steps that together add up to a giant step to regaining my confidence, relighting that inner fire and rediscovering a love of life that I’ve been lacking for a while 💕