Self-Care Challenge

Please see the post above and join in with the discussion here.

My favorite self-care activity is snuggling with my cat, playing a computer game or curling up with a book.  If I only have 5 minutes, taking a couple deep breaths, stretching my arms and back, and dropping my shoulders to release my muscles.

What do you do?

@KristenHR

Those are pretty much all of mine too! Cats are great :)

Hi Kirsten,

What helps me might not be beneficial for others suffering from eating disorders. What helps me and is my self care option is running, or going to the gym. Unfortunately for people like us it is most of the time seen as a way of burning more calories so I understand it could be tricky.

As self care option I would like to start including some yoga or meditation but I am afraid I would find it boring or not engaging enough for me, so if anyone has any experience with these two activities I would love to read about them!

@Turtleonmyleftarm

Thanks for sharing about your self-care.  It makes sense how running can be confused as trying to lose calories.  It does take a balance between exercise that is healthy and physically able, and managing the eating disorder in a healthy manner.  .  

I hope someone will share with you about yoga and meditation and experiences they have had.  I personally find meditation not in a formal type, but rather a time of thought and focus, some call prayer their time of meditation, and such.  There are YouTtube sites ad website where someone has created or recorded meditations for others to use or learn meditation.

@KristenHR

excellent post!

basic self-care for me during the work week is ensuring i've been drinking water, taking frequent breaks to walk around and clear my head and getting my daily dose of caffeine. in the evenings i play with my bird; he is VERY playful and requires interaction so in a way it's both mindfulness practices for me and self-care. on the weekends i try to get at least one creative thing i've been planning done. even if i don't want to do it or i am not in quite the right headspace, i feel worlds better after having done something productive that's fun.

@Heather225

I love that you have things that are in there that you do even if you don't necessarily want to because you know you'll feel better later having done them. 

What kind of bird do you have?  How do you play with a bird? I've never had a bird - just a cat, so I've not experienced what it's like to play with a bird.  

Having things that you do regularly throughout the day is beneficial I think, because it helps to keep it in your mind during the day.  I would think it helps you to notice things in your body sooner, like when you are getting more stressed or needing to do more self-care on a particular day.  Have you noticed this for you?

@KristenHR

he is a white bellied caique (parrot) named Flip. his particular breed is notoriously known for being hoppers (not all are but most, and mine is). they are extremely active and love to engage with humans. he likes baby toys like rattles and balls and other random things. he has a ton of energy and i work it off with him by letting him chase toys and rolling him around. 

and to answer your last question, it absolutely does aid my being more self-aware and trusting my body's signals. i didn't even think of it like this until you asked though so very cool to realize.

@Heather225

Oh how beautiful he is!  Thanks for sharing.  I had no clue about the playing and that they were social like that.

@Heather225

Hi Heather, 
I didn't think as drinking enough and having walk breaks as self-care but you're SO right! 
I am so curious about your bird, what kind of bird is he/she? What's his/her name? 

@Turtleonmyleftarm

it's honestly those little things, and if you combine them it really adds up to make a difference. self-care is any which way we sustain and nurture ourselves. (reminding myself as i type to finish thos cup of water at my side).

my parrot is a white bellied caique named Flip!

@Heather225

OMG! I love Flip already 😍
When I was a little girl I had a cockatiel called Cocò and, even if he wasn't really playful or affectionate, he was really nice to listen when he was singing and "dancing". 

Thanks for sharing Flip with us 🥰

@Heather225

What a cute bird! I can see how enjoyable that would be!

I really appreciate your idea of self-care as well. I notice too that drinking water and ensuring I'm hydrated helps a lot with food cravings and how I feel. Caffeine also does help, though I've tapered back some on that. In the afternoons I've started having a little bit to help boost energy some.

Thanks for sharing!!

@KristenHR

I always appreciate this topic and it is nice to regularly look back to.

Like turtle, my first form of self care would be exercise. While in some ways it "caused" issues with my diet, it has since transformed to the way that I start my day, feel good/confident about myself, and is the one thing I do regularly. I enjoy a mix of weight lifting and running.

On my fitness journey as well I began practicing yoga. While I do not do it as regularly as I once did, I learned some valuable tools I use now and then. I like quick 10-15 minute meditations sometimes when I am feeling overwhelmed.

I struggle with allowing myself to "relax". I always feel like I should be going top speed or doing something. This is a mindset I have been working on. Coupled with depression, some of the things I used to enjoy don't spark the same "fire" inside as they used to. But this is rekindling.

Building Legos is one of these activities. I love the Star Wars and bigger "adult" sets. I find that I can put together a bag or two and have on a show in the background as "noise". 

Reading is another hobby that I have come to bring more into my life. Fantasy novels. Especially with a cup of coffee or my cat snuggled around my feet. 

I also enjoy some video games as well. 

I find that each of these can bring pleasure, usually for about an hour. I don't quite get "lost" in them, but I am gaining more joy from them each day.

Oh and drawing! I'm not a great artist but one thing I have done is drawn out characters that my nephews enjoy on postcards (pokemon, spider-man ect). I then send them the postcards as something to look forward to. It melts my heart when I visit them and they have them on the wall.

@Phoenix22k

Thanks or sharing these various things you turn to and do for self-care.  It's great.  I love that you have a wide variety of activities that you engage in.  It sounds like you have found a good balance for you with exercise and exercise that is healthy for you.  

I love that you shared about yoga and meditation as that was also asked about.  How could someone who doesn't know about yoga or meditation get more information on those things or what might be some good sites to check it out if you have a couple ideas to look at?

Thanks for sharing these things which work for you.  I haven't thought about Legos for a long time.  Those sound fun.  It's great to hear from you.

@KristenHR

Hi Kristen! Yoga is a HUGE world. I got started by doing P90X and the routine it had, which is INTENSE. But I grew to like the more "relaxed" versions.

So much of it though revolves around the breath. That is the key, and the more I learned and practiced with it the more I became aware of how I carry myself through the day.

There is Vinyasa yoga, which is quicker paced in a hot environment. Bikram Yoga, which is slower paced but VERY hot, and Yin Yoga which is honestly just holding stretching positions for a period of time and letting your breath guide you/relax you. Those are just a few.

I would encourage you to look up some youtube videos, or if you are into the breathwork do some research there as well. Depending on what you are looking for, exercise/meditation that can guide what type you want to learn more about.

I have found it a neat thing, especially considering it is an ancient practice and there is always more to learn!

@Phoenix22k

Thanks!