Sustainable Self-Care: Nourishing Your Body
In our Women's Empowerment Circle this Tuesday we talked about how to take care of yourself and how much self-awareness is involved in taking care of yourself. Prioritizing yourself is important in order to move forward toward a sustainable life as a raregiver.
Nourishing Yourself
Think about what you want to eat and take the time to prepare it for yourself. As a Raregiver, this can be difficult because you have a lot to do. However, maybe you take time to make a big pot of soup or prepare individual salads in advance? Maybe you do some bulk cooking while someone else is tending to your Rare child.
When you sit down with your delicious plate of food, take a moment and pause. Be silent, perhaps say a prayer of thanks and take a couple of deep breaths. While you're eating, take the time to chew your food, taste the flavors and enjoy the different textures. Maybe you pause, put your fork down and notice the colors of the foods on your plate. Nourishment is visual, auditory, and gustatory when it comes to food. The main thing is to slow down and enjoy.
Sustainability
Eating well will help you with your energy. And exercise will also increase your energy and keep you strong. If you can take walks and if it serves you and you are able, go to a gym. Many raregivers do not have the time to go to the gym, so maybe you can build a little gym in your dining room. Get a few weights, some resistance bands and maybe a yoga mat. You can do a lot with a little. You don't have to spend a lot of time because as a raregiver, you may not have it. If you can spend 10 or 15 minutes per day stretching, or lifting some weights, this will create sustainability in your health and your health matters.
Final Thoughts
The main thing in self-care is to listen to yourself. To be an integrity with yourself as you move through your life and care for your Rare child. You are also a priority and if possible, don't squeeze yourself into a little box. Put yourself on your list and spend time nourishing yourself in a variety of ways. Take a moment to savor your tea or coffee in the morning, slow down and breathe. Maybe you want to read a prayer book or some poetry. Nourish yourself micro moment by micro moment with soul food.
