A week ago I began to jot down a list of the “must do” things I consider to be part of my necessary practice of self-care. I quickly came up with 10 items. And as I looked at the list, I immediately asked myself the question, “If I had to pick one of those things to do for myself that I couldn’t live without, which one would it be?”
That’s a really tough question for me. They are all so important to helping me stay physically and emotionally well that I don’t think I could live without any of them.
Certainly, though, when I get really honest with myself, I am more focused and disciplined in some areas than I am in others.
And as I allowed my thoughts to wander, I was drawn to the question “if I polled varying groups of women, how would they rate these items in the level of importance to them?”. That was followed by, “could I discover the 5 Most Important Self-Care Practices?”.
So I gathered up my list and sent it out to a few women as a test, and I was surprised that I didn’t get any stand out answers. Every woman said something different! The best part is that what they did say is that the simple act of thinking about their self-care practices made them realize they needed to shift some energy in that direction.
And better yet, one woman rated her list with what she wanted her priorities to be, and what she thought they currently were and wrote in that she was surprised and enlightened by seeing her gaps on paper.
So, if you want to give it a try, I’ve included the list below. Rate each item with the number 1 – 10, with each item receiving a unique value, and 1 being the most important to you, and 10 being the least. Don’t use any number more than once.
- Meditation/Prayer
- Journalling/Scripting
- Exercise
- Eating Well
- Affirmative Reading
- Group Support
- Mentor/Coach Support
- Resting/Sleeping Well
- Maintaining a nurturing environment
- Participating in a creative process (painting, singing, writing, cooking)
Feel free to add your own if I missed something.
Honestly, are you giving your priority items your full attention? Are you truly practicing self-care? I know the past two weeks I have not been – and boy, do I feel it. And though I generally do a good job of staying on track with my journaling, affirmative reading and group, and coach support, I still have not found my rhythm with eating well and exercising consistently. Writing up this little exercise made it obvious to me that I need to direct some energy to those areas.
What practices are the most important to you? Please share your thoughts with me. Post a comment on this blog, or comment on my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/wisewellwomen. I’ll be compiling and share the total results here, too.
So, today I commit to making exercise and eating well an integral part of my self-care practice. I’m not sure yet what that’s going to look like or how I’m going to do it, but I know I’ll get there.
Will you join me?
I so need to get back to this. I’ve been letting it go for too long
I hear ya sista’ — this is one of those things that comes and goes in waves for me. I love the reminder that I can take one small step and get the ball rolling again. For me, right now, it’s being diligent about my morning journaling practice. When I honor my commitment to myself in this way, I hear the small still voice that has such amazing things to say! And all is well in the world. Sending a little encouragement and many, many blessings to you!