Serenity Now!

Hanging out with the baby, who has refused to take a nap and is now getting pretty cranky, has made me think of self-care. Which made me think of George Costanza’s dad screaming “Serenity Now!” It made me laugh, because c’mon, who doesn’t enjoy some wholesome 90’s sitcom humor? But seriously though, we could all use a little serenity from time to time.

Some people, actually, there are quite a few people, who say things like “I don’t have time for that” or “I’d feel weird doing something like that”. I’m here to tell you that you DO have time, and yeah, some stuff can be a little weird at first, but in the end it’s totally worth it!

Self-care, self love, treat yo-self, and every other name it goes by, all mean the same thing. Taking care of your self. This means different things to different people, because no one has the same needs. For the extra busy person stopping for coffee on the way to work – that’s self-care. For the stay at home mom or dad, hiding in the bathroom eating chocolate.. yes that happens, at least around here it does, that’s hidden self-care. It’s all about taking care of you!

There are ways that we can introduce more self love into our world’s each and every day. Ways to help you relax, feel valued and just get away from the hustle and bustle for a while. It’s important. Very important. Why? Because walking around stressed the F out all the time isn’t healthy for anyone or anything. It’s not good for your skin, your gut, your hair, your relationship with anyone.. the list goes on.

It’s not just about relaxing, it’s about helping figure your shit out. Self care is about learning who you are, what you want and how you can accomplish it. Woah. Mystical.

I don’t consider myself an expert by any meaning of the word, but I do practice self-care, every chance that I get. For a while there, that wasn’t very often. I had 5 kids, you read that right! 5 kids! I was the foster mom for my niece and nephew while being pregnant and working full time and packing and doing all the things! I still found time for self care. Albeit not as often as I should have, but it still happened.

I would sneak in a bath with salts and oils. I would stay up past everyone’s bed time and stare mindlessly at the TV. These things helped me stay calm when all was chaos. They helped me re-center in a way. Which was extremely helpful with all of the changes that were taking place.

Here are some ideas about some self-lovin’ stuff that everyone can do!

Ideas for self-lovin’

• • Take a bath.. that’s right.. soak in some suds (or butt water as it is sometimes referred to around my house) throw in some Epsom salt, heck get real fancy and throw in some Himalayan salt! Drop in a few oils.. lavender is very calming and bergamot helps to reduce anxiety.
  • Meditate. This takes practice but is extremely good for mental clarity. Just closing your eyes and take a few deep breaths can help you destress.
  • Write.. write a song, a poem, a movie script, or even a book if you want! Hell, I even make to-do lists. It helps organize things and make the problem seem a lot smaller. Keeping a journal can help reduce anxiety and stress. Plus there are many kinds of journals. There is the kind that hold all of your secrets, there are bullet lists, there are even gratitude journals. My two older girls and I keep journals!
  • Light a candle. One of those nice smelling ones.. that smell like a bakery.. mmmm… Cinnamon rolls!

• Read a book or watch your favorite movie. Reading can be tricky especially if you have a young baby or kiddos that demand a lot of attention. But staying up a half hour past their bed times and zoning out in between the pages of a good book, is a great way to unwind!

Like I said before, life can get pretty crazy from time to time, so it’s good for you to take a little time for yourself! If it feels weird at first or if you feel guilty because there is so much more to do, don’t worry it will get easier!