Intentional Self Care

At some point in February, I usually remember to pause and realize how long I have been intentionally practicing self-care…something I might not have prioritized in the past. So what has that meant for me? What have I achieved in this time?

I think it really is a matter of perspective. The last five years of my life have been particularly tough. There are many things I could say went wrong. I could list a bunch of dramas and complaints. There is much to stew about for sure! I chose a different path. Does this mean I was a perfect model of self-compassion and self-care each and every day? Definitely not! However, I can honestly say that I was intentional with checking in on my wellness each and every day for the last four years. This is something I feel very proud of and that I think saved me several times over.

I have been blessed to have had lots of help along the way. I have friends who took part in the beginning of my Creating Community monthly meetups and some new ones who have joined along the way. When I look back on what things looked like at the beginning, it was not neat and clean. I remember a terribly embarrassing experience where I was working on my field study with my GDE class and got suddenly called away to an urgent issue with my child. I left my computer mic on so that my group got to hear the whole explosive experience! Yup…not neat...and pretty embarrassing!

Life is not neat and clean. I would love to say that I had one pivotal experience that turned everything around and that I am an expert now; but, it’s more like a variety of experiences and contexts that I get to learn from each and every day. Sometimes I do better and other times I have more to learn. In the end, I don’t think I would have made it through the bumps (ok…sometimes mountains!) and come out better on the other side if it were not for my intentional daily work.

In our monthly meetup we do not all use daily wellness journals. (I think I’m the only one who practices this way.) We come from different contexts with different needs. We collaborate to inspire each other. The Dalai Lama said something like if you can’t find one minute to meditate, you should probably find 30 minutes. Our lives are so busy that stopping for one hour each month can help us create some important changes we need one step at a time. Many of us have noticed positive shifts in the areas of health, relationships, employment, and even finances.

This month we are working on our nervous system and how we can support it through small shifts in our diet. Regardless of the topic, we all seem to leave with a little more than we came in with. Often, the group determines what topics will be most useful for the next month. Here are some topics that could be discussed at our monthly meetups this year.

Nurturing Our Nervous System

Practicing Gratitude

Savouring the Microbreaks

Vision & Values

Seasonal Transitions

Elements of Well Being

If you want to try giving yourself an hour this month, please join us February 25th!

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