It is shocking just how many of us excel in taking such great care of others and constantly neglect ourselves. A few months back, I met a lady, an exhausted looking but pleasant mother of three who chatted me as she clipped her nails away. Her hair was held up in a messy bun and eye bags that communicated just how little sleep she had been getting. We had an interesting conversation and sadly, she mentioned at some point how much she had failed to prioritize her wellbeing since her journey to motherhood began. I encouraged her and shared a few tips on how to keep going even when there was so much to do. Wait.
This is not just for mothers, a lot of us sometimes get so overwhelmed while adulting and for a moment, forget about our social, physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. There are so many activities that provide self-care benefits that do not always relate to taking walks or participating in meditation sessions, including yoga. You will be thrilled to get to know others that will bring out your creative genius while at the same time providing the relaxation, fun and time to reconnect with and take care of yourself.
Drawing or Painting is not outdated
The beauty about taking care of self is that there are no rules to it really. If anything, you get the freedom to choose to do what ultimately brings you joy and satisfaction. The day to day responsibilities can bog you down.
It is simply about doing activities that makes you feel good about yourself and can distract you from what is causing you stress and help you spend more time focusing on yourself. You want to make sure all your time is not spent working, cleaning, or taking care of your kids. You should also have some hobbies and activities you truly enjoy just for yourself. Grab a sketchbook and some art tools to draw, sketch, or paint as you wish.
Grab that Coloring Book
These have been the trend for a long while and I can guarantee are not going anywhere anytime soon. Long gone are the days when coloring books were a ‘kids only’ activity. Depending on your preference, these adult coloring books come in different types that include floral, geometric, pattern, zendoodle, mixed styles, animal and nature. I have seen others that contain affirming mantras and curse words, just for a little fun. Coloring books are a great way to de-stress through creating, the psychology behind it being that when your thoughts are concentrated on a simple activity, the brain relaxes hence helps to cut down on anxiety and stress for the most part. Coloring is also known to elevate one’s mood and enhance your creativity.
Get lost in between Pages
Those of you like me that love books and not just love but read them quite a lot will agree with me that it is so relaxing to research, buy and get down to actual read, understand and digest content. It is the one thing that distracts you in a world of a writer which often appears surreal especially if the book is a captivating read (fiction or otherwise). I find beauty in how authors construct sentences, use vocabulary and the intricate way they describe situations. A beautiful art. Oh, well! What do I know! If you do not like to read, you might as well begin by identifying what kind of book you might find interesting. Thanks to Google, Amazon, Good Reads, all the options are out there for you to explore. Start small, do not buy bulky 600 pagers if the last time you read a book was when you were 13 years. You might never read past the ‘acknowledgement’ page unless the writer works their language out to keep you hooked to read on. I have intentionally factored reading in this article because it inspires and triggers creativity. Those that write or journal will agree with me that, for us to write we have to read a little more than we should. About anything and everything.
Type or Nibble away
I find writing very therapeutic. After many years of not feeling inspired enough to write, I decided to resume blogging after which I slowly but surely began the journey to self-publishing my first set of poems. When that was done, I started plotting on my next write because all I want to do nowadays is type away about anything. With or without content. Not every form of self-care has to do with art projects. At the time, I had set to find random prompts online and write at least 500 words each day, something I still do although I will not lie; daily does not happen always.
You could start by setting time to write several lines a day or several times a week. It could be a poem, random thoughts such as how your day was, daily life and work experiences, share ‘how to’ tips, short stories or journal.
During your writing activity, you could have a time set for the length of time you would like to jot or type away whatever comes to your mind until the timer goes off. With time you realize that writing becomes a habit, and an addictive one at that.
Take up a New Craft
Take up that cooking class. Learn how to do indoor gardening. Register and start learning how to play a drum set.
There are opportunities for you to do that one thing on your bucket list you never got to do and bring out your creative side. Most people think that you have to be an artist to take part in and enjoy any creative activity. Wrong. When you decide to learn something new, you know more about you, better take care of yourself and in the process learn how to do the activity. This is the perfect opportunity to go out and express your creative side. Learn something new. Think of a hobby you have held on and give it a go.
Do not forget, the day to day responsibilities will never really go away. How you manage to get your work done and with the satisfaction it required majorly depends on having a clear and sane mind. Make time, do you, for you.
You come First.
Stop. Go. Experience Life 