Taking care of myself (5 things Friday)

I had a LONG conversation a few days ago with a friend who is going through a really hard time. She is trying to make some big career decisions and she works a million hours a week as a pediatrician, which is a very noble, albeit draining, career choice. Add in some men issues and a family drama to her already crazy world, and that pretty much sums up her last few months. If anyone needs some good old-fashioned self-care, she does.

I kept telling her she needed to take some me-time. Go to the spa. Get a massage. Take a bath. Read a novel. Basically, do something for herself. And the sentence she kept repeating was that she couldn't do that, she needed to X, Y, or Z. Now, I understand the need to keep going...that there is always something to do or somewhere to be. But I'm learning really quick that if we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of others. On airplanes, they tell you to secure your own oxygen mask first before assisting your neighbors...same concept applies. So I thought I'd use my 5 things Friday list to document 5 main things I do to take care of myself.

1. I try to live a healthy lifestyle. I work out pretty regularly. I eat well most of the time. I drink a lot of water. I wear sunscreen. I try to get enough sleep (although this is difficult with a baby). I limit caffeine and sugar and am working on cutting both out of my diet. I get regular checkups and do self exams for breast and skin cancer every month. I do yoga a few times a week and meditate daily. I'm not perfect in any of these areas but I'm trying to do the best I can, both to feel better for myself and set a good example for my daughter.

2. I indulge in the things that make me feel good. I get massages almost weekly. I get pedicures when I can find the time to go (or when I'm at my sister in law's house) . I buy new music off of I-tunes when I want to jazz up a workout or my walk into work. I recently bought a mountain bike because biking makes me feel alive. I buy new clothes because I enjoy getting dressed up and feeling good about how I look. I hired a housekeeper because I love a clean house and don't have time to do it. If something makes me feel good, I find a way to have it in my life and I don't feel guilty about this because I work hard for what I have. Plus, because of the "single mom with small child status", I don't really go out much and don't eat out much, so money has been freed up that goes into my little luxuries.

3. I am trying to simplify my life. What does this mean? I am really trying hard to think about what I spend time on, what I use, what I buy, what I need, what I want and what I have room for. If I don't use something, I have been trying to find a new home for it. I've donated a lot of stuff and I have spent a lot of time going through everything I have and making sure I have a need for it and a place for it. I don't go shopping just to go shopping because that's when i buy a lot of junk I don't need and this contributes to the clutter I am working hard on getting rid of. I keep a list of stuff I need and then I try to buy it all at once. My simplifying extends to every area of my life. I have simplified my life by hiring a house cleaning service and having my groceries delivered. I order necessities like deodorant and tampons and hairspray online and order a 3-4 months supply at a time. I pay my bills online. I have my dry-cleaning picked up and delivered. Basically, I am trying to keep the necessities in my life orderly and simple so I don't have to spend a lot of time worrying about them. I would much rather spend my time and energy living my life with my kiddo than cleaning my bathroom or buying groceries.

4. I am focusing on my spirit. I know, that sounds a little hippy-dippy-trippy and very "happy, sunny, la-la-la" but what I mean is that although I have always been a fairly spiritual person, I haven't really worked on it. It's just been there. So now I'm spending time learning more about what I need for me to feel whole and complete. I'm reading about various religions, I'm examining the one I was raised with, I'm spending time meditating and praying, I'm writing about it. Basically, I'm exploring a side of myself that has been neglected or ignored for a while and trying to figure out how it all comes together for me.

4. When all else fails, I write about it. Writing has become a huge part of my life. I spend a lot of my (very limited) free time writing. I'm working on several projects that I hope to have published and I'm spending a lot of time and effort on my writing group. I'm hoping to find a way to work with a writing coach next year when my writing group ends. I have found that having the ability to put words together in a way that expresses what I am feeling has been a huge part of healing from some of the recent events. Also, it's been a great way to purge myself of the anger, bitterness, and heartache that have been inside of me and has also provided a method for documenting the stories of the early parts of Riley's life for later, when she is ready to know about that part of our lives. Writing, whether in an assignment for my group or on a post for one of my blogs, has been a great way to take care of myself by getting the words outside of myself.

So, there you have it...a list of 5 things I do to take care of myself. Let's hear from some of you...What do YOU do to take care of yourself?