As I was writing my to-do list, I paused as I thought about the items I don’t put on my list that are just as important. I have a list of things to get done to run my home, my business, and take care of my family. Why don’t I have a to-do list to care of me? That is just important, and I would argue even more important. I decided to try it and here is what my first list consisted of.
Breathe. How many times a day do you hold your breath in a moment of anxiety or stress? I am embarrassed to say, I caught myself engaged in a whole conversation holding my breath. I had no physical escape route and my bodies reaction was to freeze. Thank goodness it was only a 2-3 min interaction, any longer, I would have passed out due to a lack of oxygen.
Detox: This is a new concept for me, personally. I have always advised others to detox the negative in their lives but when it came to me I would have a sense of guilt when I started the letting go process. It took one panic attack recently to change my point of view on this. Sometimes you have to love from a distance, and this is ok. It is not selfish or disloyal. It is actually saving the relationship. It saves you from continuing to resent the situation and the person. It stops you from harboring those feelings and it prevents the other party for experiencing the ugly moment when you will have had enough and can no longer hold it in. Separation is good it allows people to reflect on the relationship and determine if the situation was one of obligation or that came from a true genuine place and is worth saving.
Release: How do you release or let go of your daily stress sometimes it may be just a quiet moment for me, other times it is retail therapy ( I tend to buy new vacuum cleaners during stressful times in my life). Other times it is a musical journey through time, I will shuffle my Spotify starting at gospel and ending with some Keith Sweat :). Recently though I have been turning back to my first love of drawing. The pieces are nothing I would share with the world but it is a physical release for me to put those emotions on paper.
I know I have been gone for a while but in order for me to be unapologetic and authentic as I continue to develop Be ReZilient I want to be sure that I am using the same tools daily and developing new insights that may help others.
As we continue this journey, let’s never forget that self-care is apart of this journey that can not be overlooked. What will you put on your list?