What Self-Care Looks Like for Me!

Sometimes Self-care is a week away from EVERYONE. A week of being my best friend. A week of practicing what I preach and receiving the work I give… Myofascial Release and energy work.

To be honest, self-care is something relatively new to me in the last 7- 8 years, but I really didn’t start to build it into my life more consistently until last 3 years.

I am a mom to a child with Autism. There are alot “feels” that I experience: sadness, guilt, fear, anxiety…the list goes on. They sort of rotate through the day/week. Don’t get me wrong, there are warm and fuzzies! There are plenty of splashes of joy and victories!

As a mom to my son there was the urgency to push him to learn everything he needed to learn in order to live his full life when I am no longer here or able to be his advocate (super deep stuff on a day to day basis). There was no SLOWING DOWN.

I worked 2 jobs from when he was a few months old until 5 years ago. I multitasked and tried to fit EVERYTHING in. I didn’t sleep much and could not turn my brain off.

It is challenging to NOT take on the identity of that diagnosis when you are a consistent advocate and caregiver living in a world of IEP meetings, therapies and doctor appointments.

How does this tie into SELF-CARE??? There was no self-care in my life.

It wasn’t really until I started taking Myofascial Release seminars, that I learned self-care was more than an uninterrupted shower or getting my toes painted. Don’t get me wrong, those are great things!

Self-care for me is sleep that lasts more than 2 hours, slowing down, breathing and being able to enjoy the moment. I never knew how to do those things. It took alot of work and it wasn’t until my Myofascial Release training that I was able to learn how to feel enough into my body to do those things.

I had to travel to take courses. Which meant I had to let go when I wasn’t at home. There was alot of guilt to work through. I was the person who did and managed everything and here I was leaving for 3, 4, or 7 days. Therefore I was a “bad mom”, in my mind and likely others who may have been dealing with their “own stuff” and likely wanted to leave for a few days, but were not there yet.

The first few trips, I exhausted myself making sure everything was “all-set” while I was away.

The more seminars I attended, the more I learned to “let go”. it was a process.

I had to stop controlling, making sure things were perfect and would not fall apart when I was gone. I had almost perfected micromanaging from afar . I had to but I also WANTED to allow the other adults to do what they needed to do while I was gone.

PML- Pre-mom- life, travel was my thing. I looooove to travel. I will get on a plane to almost anywhere. I don’t care about the delays and chaos that goes with it…I roll with it! Seminars became a way of self-care. It became a way of getting back to myself. I started adding a day or two before and after seminars to decompress and “do my thing” even if it was nothing!

I have all kinds of tools in my tool belt for self care that I use daily . I have my Myofascial Release tools: getting treated regularly slow long stretching, foam rollers and other gadgets.

I use the gym as an outlet and lift weights a few days a week.

Alone time is one of my favorites, a drive to the beach to dip in the ocean, long walks through the woods or even my neighborhood, stretching in my office listening to a good podcast.

Intentionally taking a day off taking an epsom salt bath (or go to a FLOAT spa) and then lay in bed for a few hours without interruption.

I incorporate things that allow me to feel into my body and make me feel good. And I do the “things”regularly.

This week, I am attending a Myofascial Release Intensive, receiving 15 hours of Myofascial Release, going for walks, slowing down and being present.

This is something that a comes with much more ease. It gives me the time to heal my body, become a better mom, and a more educated therapist for my clients.

If you need some ideas on self-care, what to do, how to fit it in and what it could possibly look like for you, please reach out! I would be grateful to have a conversation with you!