The past couple of weeks have been a bit hectic for me. I’ve had to cover extra shifts due to illnesses on our team (everyone’s better now), had a sick cat that needed to go into the vet (she’s ok too), had our car hit while parked (not so bad), and had our dishwasher malfunction causing water damage to several cabinets in our kitchen (fairly bad). Fortunately these things are all pretty minor in the grand scheme of things, and nothing we can’t handle. But I’m sure you can relate to having those kind of weeks where it feels like one more thing might just break you.
As I realized we were heading into “survival mode”, I started mentally letting go of things that were non-urgent, and less important to the big picture. Priorities always have to shift if we find ourselves in survival mode, but so often we shift too far away from the things we need to do to take care of ourselves. Fortunately I have enough life experience to have identified a few things that I know I need to keep in my routine, even when I feel like I “don’t have time”. These are my Self Care Non-Negotiables:
Training Sessions – I make time to get my training sessions in, even in the weeks that my schedule seems impossible. If I’m sick, or have not been getting enough sleep to recover properly, that’s a different story. I might have to modify my training somehow – reducing the loads if I’m supposed to lift heaver than I think I can manage, doing shorter sessions if I’m feeling overwhelmed by time management, etc. I certainly don’t pressure myself to perform at my highest level during “survival mode” times. But I do know I will feel better if I stay consistent with my training. I will have more energy, I’ll feel stronger, and my mood will be improved.
Walking and CARs – I typically walk most days of the week, and do my daily CARs routine to keep my joints feeling good. Having had back issues, my walks and joint mobility keep me out of pain. And they are a source of stress relief and time to clear my head. It’s hard to fit in sometimes, especially when it’s hot outside. But if I have to go in the evening when I get home from work, my walk takes priority over an extra half hour of TV time.
Quiet Time – In order to function optimally, I need a good deal of quiet time and alone time. I meditate, journal, do breathwork/rollouts, and even just daydream. I might not have as much time for all that when survival mode hits, but I make sure to give myself at least 10 minutes everyday if I am in a time crunch.
Home Cooked Meals – We have certainly done a few more take out meals than we normally do in the past couple of weeks. And with our dishwasher gone for the moment, it is not a fun task to hand wash dishes. But I know that I feel better when I am eating meals cooked at home, so I adjust to things that can be prepared simply, and to meals that will yield leftovers so I don’t have to cook as often.
It seems to be the way life goes that we will find ourselves in survival mode from time to time. Thankfully, there are ways to continue to take care of ourselves when we know the basics we need to feel our best. I hope over this Labor Day long weekend you have some time to recharge, and perhaps take stock of your self care non-negotiables.