Welcome back to another self care Sunday. Firstly can we say how do we only have 20 weeks left of 2019? That sounds crazy, anyway I started 2019 with a goal to improve my life, health and happiness. By using self care and practicing daily. I am also learning self care along the way, playing around with it, adding and removing things. For all that are new around here, I am Mel, 29 from the UK. About 5 1/2 years ago I started the long lengthy process to eventually be diagnosed properly with Endometriosis, April of 2018.
Self care came into my life about 3 years ago and though you can never stop learning self care, the parts I know really have helped me to live a “normal” life as possible. Endometriosis is a disease that sometimes makes me feel like my body hates me. It can make you feel lonely and creates a lot of pain. Creep up on you when you are least expecting it and knock you down when you are loving life.
Anyway back to this week. How has yours been? Full of good, bad or ugly days? A random mixture or just the average I feel ok about the week. For me it has to be a week of I feel ok. I have a lot on my mind at the minute. Lots of life changing decisions to make and some that maybe not all is going to love me for. Thats pretty much all I can say on that right now.
It has been a bit of a week where I am just poodling along. I am ok but feeling a little meh and sometimes felt a little lonely. Times where you feel emotional and your head feels you with doubt or worry. Eyes filled with tears. But really I have just been to work and home each day. Thats what I say when people ask anyway.
My main goals for the week, were to diet and be strict with it, be motivated and push myself to do things that I can be lazy with and try keep my positive attitude and stride going. Some were successful, some were a fail and some were 50/50.
Setting goals is a really good way to motivate yourself, push yourself through the harder days by planning and encourage your ticking brain to concentrate on the goods and positives and leave them nasty negatives behind. Pushing yourself is good for your health and mind. Ok don’t push yourself ridiculously but push yourself that little further so you brain is active and you have a good mindset to thrive upon.
Daily rituals are something I really thrive off. I love a routine and being organised. Knowing what I am doing and when. Having daily self care things I practice daily really help me. Even if it’s the boring stuff that everyone should do like taking a shower. The combination of the daily have toos and the things you and your body love. It’s the perfect blend for me.
Heat massively helps my endometriosis and my pain. To be fair I am one to naturally feel colder anyway so heat helps me and makes me feel good, whether that’s a long hot bubble bath, extra layers and warm cosy jumpers, or a beach and blazing hot sun. Then I am a happy girl!
Bubble baths, something that everyone should do daily, bath or shower that is, is a must for me. The perfect amount of bubbles to the temperature, the dept and the peace and quiet. Everything about a bubble bath makes me happy. It’s the time to unwind from the day, relax and think of the goods and bads of the day. What could have gone better, be improved or things that make you say yes I want to do that again, that was good. Even now typing this I am excited to have a bath after.
Like I mentioned earlier I have been clean eating for about 4 weeks now. There has been a few hiccups along the way, especially when I felt a little lost, upset or lonely. I really craved a bakers warm sausage roll the other day. Something I haven’t had in years! Don’t you find that when people around you are eating naughty things it really tempts you? Two digestives were ate on Thursday but I did put them in as points so I treated but stuck in my point limit. Chocolate has been another craving this week, luckily for me the canteen at work we’re running low on supplies and I am trying to not spend money.
Body confidence and body image is something I sometimes struggle with. I am not overweight I am a UK 10/12 so I should always feel amazing. Its more to do with the scaring I have on my tummy and the extra flab where I lost a lot of weight years ago but for the first time in a long while I came in to my bedroom, just in my underwear from brushing my teeth, glimpsed in the mirror and thought I not only look good, I feel good. Definitely gives you the added boost you need for a day.
Crystals are something I really think you need to believe in to work. But I have my crystals that I have in my zen garden and I wear on my wrist. I have just brought a new bracelet to go with this one actually because I do believe in them and they really do help me. The full understanding of how they work hasn’t hit me yet and if you were to ask me why do I believe in them, I am not sure of the answer. Do the research on which ones, meaning works for what you need help with and just give them a go! Put the bracelet on and say this is for happiness or whatever combination its for and believe it. It fascinates me that my opal crystal goes fire orange in my palm but ocean blue when I place it back down. Again I don’t know the meaning to the colour change.
Creativity is something I am really good at, I have a talent for but its also something that really calms me and makes me happy. Whether that’s writing, doodling, sewing or whatever it may be, I am there. I love to create daily, this is a daily ritual for me, my daily creativity is more into my bullet journals right now but it also depends on the time I have, what I am enjoying or needing to do.
Simple self care things like getting a text from a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while or a morning reminder from your bestie that she loves you and is there for you. I got that this week from my bestie and oh my sure does she know how to put a smile on my face. How to pull be into a happy excited mood and encourages you in your qualities. That is why simple things are good as well as crazy things. Reaching out or staying in touch with friends is super good for self care. Rarely do you want to feel lonely and emotional about the loneliness. Something as that text really does help and you sometimes can never really tell if anyone is having a good day, bad or ok life.
Motivation has really pushed me this week, its kept me going. From splitting the house work to doing more for myself and eating healthy. Putting all my effort into being motivated in every way possible. It takes some time to get in the mood to be motivated, its hard to keep it as well but when you do then you are on a roll. That is why it is also good to set goals.
Early nights have been something I have been loving or just doing this week. I don’t know how but my time has just been longer. It hasn’t but it just feels that way. Motivation and being organised has definitely got to be playing apart in this but its a really good feeling to have my life back on track and hours where I have time to do what I want. Did I feel tired? Not really I just felt my book wasn’t worth reading for longer though I am reading daily still, it is a time at night when I get a little emotional and so I just go get ready for bed and fall asleep. Sleep is something that really helps me and I have to have at least 8 hours a night to just be ok.
Me time is something we should all do and love. It has massively benefitted me this year. All I do is shut off from the world an hour before bed and split that hour into what things will help me to unwind, realise negative or emotions and chill me out. Switch off from your phone, tv, laptop whatever social wise it be and sit reading a book, colouring in or journalling. I sleep so much better and fall asleep a lot quicker than I use to, my sleep is deeper and stronger and I am now 8 months I addicted to me time. Reading is something I am rubbish out, probably have read 25 books in my life if that. This year I have been reading at least 2 a month.
Splitting my me time hour into 2 or 3 really helps me. I tend to start my hour with my well being books. My self care journal which asks me the same questions daily, it makes you think outside the box a little more, encourages you to do things that are good for yourself and your body and positive attitudes are something you write down daily. It also has monthly check Ins and random pages talking about self care.
Positivity really helps me, I need a positive life and though I physically can’t change parts that are negative I love to make my bullet journal a place to doodle, write all things positive and encouragement for myself. Goals is something I set monthly in my journal whether that’s something huge or just to take the rubbish out weekly. Mood charges also help me record how and what I felt, I just doodle a flower and how long it is depends on my mood. It’s also a way to be a little creative and unique because I cover it in sharpie pen and tape.
The other planner is for my daily phrases to remind me of what to be and how to feel. I write down all my thoughts and feelings and plan out tasks daily to keep me motivated and organised.
Podcasts are something fairly new to me, I would say I have listened to for about 3 months but when I am surrounded with negativity or need to concentrate I plug into a podcast. I mainly listen to Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast especially at work, I listened to 2 this week at work. The first made me proper laugh out loud because it was so true. Who really cares or even notices if you haven’t shaved your legs. Then the other made me happy but also sad. It was Gok Wan’s one with Fearne and he was talking about being in hospital dying and how all the people who loved him would be round him just reminded me of my grandad and how he died only a few months ago. In hospital once all his loved ones had visited.
When I went to have a bath the other night, I thought I would try a new podcast out. Baths are great ways to meditate as well. Oh my god it was the quickest bath I have ever had because the ladies voice was so annoying. It was meant to be about dealing with negative people, as much as I tried to concentrate on the whale noises in the background her voice just grated on me that I had to stop it. I actually unfollowed it straight away.
From this I really hope you can see and it shows that no matter what self care you practice remember what things work for you, what helps you and what doesn’t. Have them daily rituals to help you then add a splash of something wild in the middle to make you laugh or simply smile. Feel your life with ones that want you in theirs and encourage you in whatever you decide. Make sure that you are always putting your needs first and if its a situation you can’t fix you do something you can do to hide away for a while.
If you become bored of your day to day life of keeping upbeat, pushing through and self care, remember why you are here, what you are doing and how your body should love you for it. Something that’s not working just means you need to jazz your life up a bit and mix it all around, try something new until you find the perfect blend. Remember it’s always good to cry, laugh, smile, be happy and stressed, just make sure you look after yourself and bring the positives, extra laughs and happiness with you.
Make a happy clean inviting home, so you’re comfortable and welcome in your home. If you have a disease like mine just work with what you can. Split up the chores or do more on the good days. That is why positive minds and self care really help me.
Next week I want more of a happy chilled kind of week. A busy one with sorting out packing and motivating myself to do more. Maybe I should just go get a bakers sausage roll just to cure the craving. What is your plans for next week? Do you want to concentrate on one particular self care to practice? Or a random mixture?
