Part of self-care is thinking positively. Most of the time, I do this for myself and others, but there comes times when I struggle to not be so hard on myself. With as many good things going on right now in my life, you would think it would easy to shut out the negative thoughts and be able to balance my mind’s attention. I get stuck and dwell on the one thing that is bothering until I can hardly stand it anymore, despite every other positive thing around me. I know this is one of my downfalls, and I am working on making it better and have a healthier coping mechanism; I just have not gotten there yet. Saying kind and encouraging things to your friends and the people around you comes so naturally to most of us, but when it comes times to be that voice of reason for yourself, something gets completely lost in translation. Not all self-care is doing one thing for yourself and calling it good. Self-care is a constant practice that involves clearing headspace. It is time I start listening to the advice and support I hand out to others and be able to see past the one thing that continues to drain me. Out with the negative and in with the positive. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019
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As bad as the polar vortex that froze the Midwest last week was, it was the perfect storm to allow me the chance to do things for myself. Last semester I experienced extreme burnout, so this semester, I knew I had to do something different to preserve the brain power I have left. Compared to last semester, this semester is going much better, but the classes being a one-eighty difference is helping significantly. When I think about how long I have been in school, it has been my entire life except for four years. Do not get me wrong, I love being a student (most of the time), but it is physically and mentally draining. There comes the point when I need a break to regroup and do things for myself. I never understood the importance of this concept until someone put a name to it. Self-care. When I first learned about self-care, I thought, of course, I do that, but then, I realized I had not been doing it the right way. I would work on something and not stop until it was done, and even then, I may not take a breather. As my years in school progressed, I have whole-heartedly adopted self-care. It does not have to be something major, but it does have to be done. Instead of rewarding myself after accomplishing a huge project, I am more likely to take brain breaks along the way. I have noticed a difference in my work and my attitude going into a project. Whether it means taking a power nap before I begin on something or giving myself a day here or there to do exactly what I want to do before deadlines dictate my life, these are the things that self-care looks like for me. Especially after last week and having three days off because of the weather, I implemented self-care every day. Sleeping in and taking random naps here and there allowed me to catch up feeling somewhat rested. I told myself that if I got up and hit the academic things I needed to get done early in the day, I could have the rest of the day to do the things I wanted to do. And because I knew I had parts of three days to get a jump on work, I broke it all up further into little chunks, so I was not running a school marathon. Self-care is not a copout for avoiding the inevitable; it is a sure way to feel and be your best. The key to doing self-care right is be kind to yourself before you are running on empty. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019 |
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