Don’t get me wrong, I love all of those things..and a few others too, but it’s easy to think you can ‘check off’ the Self Care box on your to do list without doing some of the less indulgent tasks, and then end up scratching your head when you don’t achieve the feeling of nirvana you had hoped to arrive at after said indulgent outings!
Self care is balancing your budget, so you’re not stressed and burying your head in the sand…my early forays into adulthood happened at the tender age of 17 - so the learning curve was STEEP!!
My equation also included ADHD, an infant, and no financial support, so things were far from rosy, but what made things worse was that I had no clue how to budget! We are truly doing our children a disservice by not teaching them BASIC LIFE SKILLS like budgeting, how to shop, tax returns 101 etc…. About 10 years ago, I found a great online CALENDAR BASED based budgeting program. This program is INCREDIBLE, and has been instrumental in bringing me from total money spaz to a MUCH better space! (yes, sometimes I still miss things...but only if I get too cavalier and stop checking in with good friend CB (Calendar Budget) and it is CANADIAN (Developed in Courtice Ontario) and it’s FREE!!!!! It does take a little while to set up, but it’s WELL worth the investment - put on some Foo Fighters and rock it out!!
Self care is getting rid of all the ‘stuff’ you are holding on to - either because you ‘may use it some day’ or because you ‘don’t want to be wasteful’
Self care is purging your closet and keeping only ‘fuck yes’ items that make you feel great, and as a 2 for 1 bonus, this also helps to relieve decision fatigue -something I’ve recently become aware of, and now that I’ve put some strategies in place to combat this, I’ve noticed an incredible shift! Click HERE and HERE for some resources I’ve found helpful…
2018 will be a year of a massive pare down for me...i’m equal parts nervous and excited!
Self Care is accepting responsibility for the consequences of what you put into your body - in MY case:
Dairy and Gluten = Complexion Catastrophes & Brain Fog
Refined Sugar = Nightmarish cravings and Emotional Rollercoaster Rides
Raw Veggies & Kale = Assault and Battery on my mid-section
Healthy Fats and Protein = Happiness in the land of Jennies’ Guts and Brain
Amazing supplement regimen = incredible elevation in the health of my Gut, brain and skin, and more!
Self Care is doing the ‘shitty’ things like colonoscopies, Pap tests and mammograms. Because even though they aren’t pleasant in the least, you’re gonna be grateful for the peace of mind you’ll have when you know you’re in good health!!!
I speak openly about my Crohn’s experiences - even though some people may wince...oh no…’poop talk’ - in reality, I probably missed being diagnosed by a few years because I was too embarrassed to go and seek medical advice, for fear they’d ask for a stool sample, or worse, do a butt inspection!
**SPOILER ALERT** the Doctors don’t give a sweet bippy about checking out your backside….they aren’t embarrassed, so neither should you be! Same goes for getting your wobbly bits inspected - Boys...I'm talking to you as well!!! Prostate and Testicular cancer are no joke...get your boys checked out!!!
Today's adventures?!?! Routine Colonoscopy!!!
Hey, hey, it’s not so bad!! You get a day off work, mild sedation, and a warm blanket… I can think of worse ways to spend the day!!!
The prep and fasting really are the toughest parts.. (aka Colon Armageddon) - the procedure itself really isn’t that bad. I think we Crohnnies may have a little more pain and discomfort than the rest with existing inflammation being riled up, but it’s really just 1 evening of unpleasantness.
Laying in wait in a lonely hallway waiting for your turn (over an hour after the expected time) can be nerve wracking - but I just reassured myself that a) it would be behind me soon (heee heee pun intended!) and b) that I was doing the best possible thing I could do for my health!
And...I wasn’t without my toolkit! Practicing my breathing and meditation, and maybe a little Candy Crush to pass the time, I rolled into the OR today with Neroli on my heart and feet, and ZenGest/Digesten on my belly and wrists for quick sniffability!
I was so chuffed when the OR Nurse read my history and thought there was an error on my list of meds, since there were none! I was pleased to tell her about my quest to heal myself without big pharma, and that I’m winning the battle!
My Doc was extremely pleased with how my guts are healing, and begrudgingly admitted that things look pretty good with my supplement regimen!! I may or may not have insisted on a high five in the OR...we’ll just chalk that up to the drugs!
I spent the rest of the day sleeping off the sedation, and having a lazy couch snuggle sesh with my puppies. Two days of my unpleasantries to buy me another year or two of peace of mind, knowing that I don’t have anything sinister brewing in my GI system! Plus, affirming that my intuition in switching to natural healing was spot on!
So enjoy your bubble baths....enjoy your Caramel Macchiato, and all the good, fun things you do for self care....AND.... I encourage you to share YOUR not-so-grande-latte-restorative yin-paraffin dip- self care experiences ! Share what YOU’RE doing to REALLY look after yourself!