Mind/Body/Soul Routine. Self-Care is a Deliberate Choice!
YOU are the most valuable investment that you can make!
I saw this quote this week and it really resonated with me . . .
“Analyzing a problem to find a solution is like trying to restore freshness to a leaf by treating the leaf itself, whereas the solution lies in watering the root.”
Maharishi Mahesh
This really made me stop and think about how we nourish ourselves and the time that we dedicate for our own internal self care.
Envision a Tree
The roots are a representation of who we are deep down at our soul level. The branches are all of our different desires in life that fill us up. Then there are the leaves which are all the little joys that we experience in life.
Sometimes in life we get caught up and solely only concentrate on our “leaves”. We Spend countless hours thinking that “watering” them will fulfill us, and that gives us the illusion of inner joy. Sadly, this is nothing more than a temporary fix. This type of mirage is what I like to call “The shiny object syndrome”. We seem to get in this habit of buying ourselves something new, taking a fancy vacation, having a spa day, anything really to give ourselves that instant gratification. However, sooner rather than later, that joyful feeling seems to dissipate. Therefore, the dust settles, what are we left with? That empty feeling of unfulfillment. So, where does that leave us? Unhappy and back on that vicious cycle of retail therapy and unfulfillment!
As you can see, by only watering the leaves, we miss the trunk . . . which honestly needs the most attention and nourishment to allow it to grow and support everything else in life.
In this scenario, WE the tree slowly ends up dying without the proper nourishment. Soon our leaves then get droopy, there isn’t any energy or ambition to stand tall, which then allows the wind to blow us over. No watering = a lost soul. A soul filled with self doubt, disappointment, worry, blame, anger, revenge, jealousy, unworthiness, grief, guilt, shame.
Our tree is dying. Our soul is crying out for more attention!
If this was our tree or plant in our house, would we water it? We would most likely nurture it and give it the plant food and sunlight that it deserves. Of course, now the question is, how do we honour ourselves and give us that same attention If we were that tree?
We need to have our beliefs firm and a self care routine in place. Think about what you need each day to show up to be the best version of you. How can you water yourself?
I have included my daily Self-care reminder list. Please feel free to use it if you currently don’t have one of your own.
So, now that you have nurtured and watered, the tree is now standing strong and tall. Your roots are thick and planted deep into the earth’s soil. The trunk is steady and strong. It can now support you where-ever you branch off in different areas of your life. Remember these branches and leaves represent all the areas in our life; family, career, hobbies, etc.
These branches are now free to expand out and grow since we have nurtured our roots. We are taking the necessary time to nourish our souls before we step out into the world.
You may possibly be wondering what I do to balance my day?
I have my daily rituals to feed my soul. People often look at me weirdly when I say I am up at 5am. Most responses are, “I could never do that”, “your crazy”. And maybe I am.
Working full time in an industry with very demanding low vibration souls takes its toll. The constant demand and unfulfillment leaves me feeling empty and depleted. Therefore, the importance to spend time on “me” is so crucial because I wouldn’t be strong enough to handle it. Hence, my very much needed routine consists of being up early, before the emails, the texts, the calls begin. It’s quiet in the house. This is usually when I get a good conversation happening with my husband, to get the good feels. Next, I work out, I move my body, I sweat, and get out of my head. Lastly, I shower, meditate and journal. These things keep me grounded. Keep my roots strong.
There are so many days when I’m busy at work, feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with crazy deadlines. I have constant texts and emails coming from employers. In these moments, when my phone vibrates my whole-body tenses up; I get angry, and I can feel my soul crying for help!! I’ll be honest, some days it gets the better of me. I spiral, I send a venting text to my husband how much I hate this! My head gets the best of me with all the negative thoughts that come in, my work gets sloppy, I get grumpier and now my day is shit! Absolute shit!! I point fingers and blame others. But in fact, it’s so hard for me to say . . . but I’m at fault. It’s me!
So, when I’m focused and on point, instead of all the negative spiralling, I just breathe (I’ll even just blank out, stare at my computer, big breath in and out for a couple minutes – people think I’m working, win win! (Because I am but on me), sometimes I let out a good scream first – try it, it’s very therapeutic. (My neighbours may wonder what’s going on ???????), maybe I step away from my desk, take a walk, text a friend, anything to shift me out for a moment. I know I have tight deadlines to meet. But these few crucial minutes allow me to come back better, more centered and grounded. Gets me out of my dirt pile. Usually after I do this, I come back, the situation hasn’t changed but I feel better and the way I approach is different.
Remember
It’s okay if life gets busy and we sometimes neglect to water ourselves. It happens. It can easily happen without us even knowing that we forgot to water. But the more you notice the energy shifting, the frustration, anger and depression – the quicker we recognize these traits the quicker we can respond, stop and make a positive shift.
When we notice that our leaves are starting to droop, its time to pay attention and see if self neglect is the cause. Just being aware of it is a HUGE FIRST STEP. Most of the population cannot see this and they just keep tunnelling. You attract what you put out. So, if you are carrying all these bad feelings, energies and frustrations, you’re going to keep attracting more of them.
Remember, if you recognize the early symptoms, you can stop and change paths. Neutralize your “ph levels”. Do something simple. Sometimes we don’t have it in us to go over the top. We know we need to shift but we’re down already. So, Keep It Simple. Don’t over analyze. Go for a walk, write your feelings out, buy yourself a coffee and enjoy it, take a nap, have a bath. Whatever it is, its the little things that make the most impact. Pay attention and just see how this little energy shift can start to feed your roots again. Shift your thoughts from the problems to something you can control.
I know it would be nice to have one of those self watering systems hooked up. The best version of you on autopilot?
By setting up a daily ritual routine to implement your daily habits such as, Meditation, journaling, gratitude, sleep, exercise, goal setting. Gives you all the tools to take on your day
I have included a checklist you can use.
This is not about being perfect!
My Practice:
Take time to close your eyes. Take 3 deep breaths.
Visualize being a tree! You can see all the other trees flourishing next to you and they look so beautiful and strong.
However, you’re limped over. How do you feel when you are in a non-nurturing state? Feel these emotions? Write them out. It’s okay if things like hate, guilt, sadness, and depression come to the surface.
Close your eyes again. Take 3 deep breaths.
Now visualize, a strong you, standing in a beautiful field. The sun is shining on you, birds are sitting on your strong branches (these birds symbolize important people in your life that you can easily support), your branches are strong, and you have an assortment of beautiful leaves. How does this energy make you feel? Write it out.
Do you feel empowered, rich, happy, healthy? How do we get here and stay here? How do we nurture our roots and build our tree up without allowing it to be cut down?
I challenge you to write a list of things that uplift you. It can be a simple thing, good coffee, the smell of fresh air, sun on face, clean sheet night. It could be a memory with a loved one, or a pet, an activity you enjoy. Anything that gives you good feels and makes you happy and satisfied. Keep this list somewhere close so that you can refer to it often when you need a little pick me up. It’s just a friendly reminder list.
My Prayer:
Dear Universe,
Help me find peace in the little moments. To find joy throughout my day. Please help me find the time to fill my soul up. Please remove all blockages of lack.
Let me be open to receiving. Be open to allowing self care and help me love myself.
Another fun Tip:
Set an alarm in your phone.
I have mine set for 10:30am – I change the name of the alarm to say
“Remember to Breathe – you are manifesting abundance”
It’s funny but when this alarm goes off, I am usually in the middle of a busy morning and it the perfect reminder to reset.
Give it a try.