Are you practicing Self Care?

If you've never heard this term before, Self Care is the act of taking care of yourself. The Oxford definition reads:

"The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health. The practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress."

Generally, people regard self care as individual activities that are rewarding, by creating a sense of happiness, relaxation or combating stress. Women in particular are reminded to carve out time in their schedule for self care, as we are usually in the practice of caring and doing for others.



Self care is individual

Some examples might include: getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, or taking the time to read a book. The particular activity is just as important as the time you make for it. Regular self care will help give you a sense of wellbeing and decrease your susceptibility to stressful situations.

Practicing self-care makes you a priority, helps you to maintain perspective, and keeps things in balance. It helps prevent against feeling out-of-control and overwhelmed, by creating "down time".

So, why are we discussing Self Care when this is a blog about Minimalism? Because it's the Holiday Season - the time of year marked by both stress and joy. And, the purpose behind minimalistic living is not to just live with less stuff, it is intentional living. The things we make space for and the things we make time for are important to us, or should be. A Minimalistic Lifestyle should reflect your interests, passions, and priorities. And YOU are certainly a priority.





Starting a Self Care Routine: 

Think about activities you enjoy. Make a list.

Take a moment to consider how often you do any of the activities on your list. Has it been awhile? You should be doing something daily for yourself.




Expanding your list

This is an activity I took from a Health Course in college:
Make a list of activities you enjoy, then balance that list against four categories.

• This is a solo activity
• This activity requires another person (or group)
• This activity costs money
• This activity is cheap or free

If you find that all of your activities fall into a specific category, like everything you enjoy doing is expensive and requires other people, that it's time to expand your list of activities and try to think of things that fall into the other categories.

Sometimes you may find that things overlap, like there is an activity that you can do alone or with someone, there are things you can do cheaply or expensively that would fall into the same category. The specifics are up to you.

Sample list: 

1. Meditation (20 mins)                Solo + Free
2. Getting my nails done              Solo/Social + $$
3. Going for a walk                        Solo/Social + Free
4. Reading a book (1 hr)               Solo + Free
5. Coffee with a friend (2 hrs)     Social + $
6. Going to a Concert                     Social + $$$
7. Getting a Massage                     Solo + $$

Schedule your "Me Time"

No matter what you decide to call it, you're Self Care needs to be in your calendar.

This is your time to recharge, clear your mind, or get your energy out. And just like going to the gym, if you don't treat it like an appointment, you will find it being pushed aside for other priorities.

As I said before, this should be a DAILY occurrence. Sure, we all don't have the time or money to go get a massage on a daily basis, but you should be able to set time aside to sip a cup of coffee and read a book if you enjoy that.

Carve out a little time each day for yourself. Do something special, like a massage or pedicure, a couple times a month. Taking time for yourself in small ways (and remembering to mix and the bigger things every so often) will add more enjoyment to your life. And we all want top live a life we love!





My Personal Recommendation for Daily Self Care: Meditation

If you've ever tried meditation before, and you think that it's not for you, I would ask that you try it again. I'm a very busy person, and not just in my schedule, my brain is always in the middle of a project.

When I first tried to meditate, my mind went crazy with task lists and ideas. Clearing your mind is a lot easier said than done. That is why I recommend Guided Meditation for anyone who is starting out. Best part? There are a ton of free resources online. You can listen through Spotify, you can find videos on YouTube, and you can even record your own meditation intention to play for yourself.

It's important to find a guided meditation that you enjoy. The sound of a person's voice, the topic that they focus on, and the music in the background all play a part. Take some time to go through different recordings. See what works for you.

I usually aim to meditate between 15 and 30 minutes at a time. If I find a meditation that I like, and the recording is only 10 minutes long, I might decide to follow it with relaxing music for 10 more minutes.

If you're interested, you can listen to my collection of guided meditation and relaxing music through Spotify. None of the recordings are anything that I own, or profit from, this is just a collection of recordings that I prefer to use when I meditate.

Spotify Playlists:
Guided Meditations
Relaxing Music

If this is a topic that has sparked your interest, here are a few more posts to read:

What Self Care IS and What it Isn't 

Four Reasons to Take a Personal Day

45 Simple Self Care Practices

I do not profit from these articles, I do not even know the authors. I just appreciate sharing information. Feel free to post other related articles and blogs in the comments below!

What is Minimalism?

If you're familiar with the concept of minimalism, there's a good chance that you have a general idea of what it means. And if you're really into the idea, then you've probably already read (or heard of) the duo known as The Minimalists.

MINIMALISM IS INTENTIONALITY.

It is marked by clarity, purpose, and intentionality. At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality.

From The Minimalists (written by Joshua Becker)

I love the way they explain the values behind Minimalism as a Lifestyle.

To my knowledge, there is no specific definition of a "minimalist", as pertains to lifestyle approach. And I believe that is because it has a personal meaning to each individual.

Someone might feel that living simply means that you are off the grid, growing your own food, no technology, No Frills, and nothing beyond what you need to survive. Another person may own very little, so that they are free to travel without baggage (no pun intended).




My version of Minimalism is this:

• A home that is free of clutter and extraneous items, with lots of open space and natural light. 
• A closet with a nice selection, but with few enough clothes that they can be stored in the open and still look tidy (see photo example below). 
• A daily life that includes a balance between work, play, social time and personal time. 
• A budget that focuses on financial security, and "trims the fat" (unnecessary purchases) in exchange for more experience-based enjoyment (like vacations).
• A healthy approach to food and diet, with simple, home-cooked meals (cutting out the junk that is added in store- bought preservatives) and cutting back on dining out. 

(Product Image from Walmart) 

What first drew me to Minimalism was the idea that everything could be neat and tidy, and I could actually FIND my belongings when I NEEDED them.

As a child, I was very messy. I believed I had a use for everything I owned, so I never felt like I could let anything go. I had future projects in mind for things I wasn't using, and I was going to fix things that were broken... I just never really learned to let go.

I was afraid that if I got rid of something, I would find that I still needed it. And it has taken me until now, in my thirties, to really internalize the fact that if I need something, I can always get it. As an adult, I don't have to have the fears of a child. And living in a first world country, there's not a whole lot that I can't find, if I need it.




That being said, it's not always easy to let go of things... And it's not always easy to not purchase things that I want when I see them. But that's why I'm recording this journey, because it's not a clear-cut decision and then Grand Sweep into a new way of living.

Every day, every week, and each month I make steps toward becoming more minimalistic. Much like weight loss, the process is slow. But I am moving slowly so that the decisions are deliberate and the change can last.




As someone who has had to step around clutter, sort through storage boxes full of junk, and clean an area that was just organized only a week prior, I look forward to the day when my house doesn't feel like it needs cleaning on a daily basis.

If you are someone with similar goals, or if this post inspires you to begin this journey, I hope that my sharing of the experience will help in your transition as well.

Good luck! And please, share your own updates with me in the comments. I love to compare notes and learn new things!

First Entry!

What am i doing?! *mild panic*


I am attempting to start a blog, in the middle of a very stressful and busy season in my life, while there is a list a Mile Long of tasks I SHOULD be focusing on...

Yes, that's true.

I'm planning to focus on aspects of a Minimalistic Lifestyle, while I have (literally) piles of stuff to sort through around my house.

Yup.

And I started this new project with no real time to spare for composing entries on even a weekly basis.

That's what it looks like...



But that's also the inspiration behind my project.  I'm tired of not having the time, not having the space, and not having the Peace of Mind I deserve in my every day to day life!


So here goes!

You are welcome on this journey of blunders and success, while i find my way to a Minimalistic Life.

(Smile) This should be interesting.