Meaningful Gifts to Yourself: Take Care of Yourself
Written by: Alexander Halsey, CFW Health Fitness Specialist
The abstractness and manifestation of balance goes well beyond how well you can stand on one leg! How we balance life is of equal reverence. The way we spend each day can be simplified in two ways, how we serve others and how we serve ourselves. No matter the contents of a schedule, the recipient of the energy put into it will always be someone else or yourself. Balance in life practice is between these two recipients. How would your balance look? This ratio is different for everybody considering different responsibilities. I encourage you to play around with the ratios without compromising your responsibilities to help see what brings you the most peace and fulfillment.
Before delving into meaningful gifts to yourself comes the practice of mindful balance. Intentionally doing something opposite or contrary relative to your activities and experiences can help restore balance in your life. After you exercise you rest and recover, after sleep you wake, after work, you play. Allowing this contrast to permeate all facets of our lifestyles can also expose you to experiences, emotions and schools of thought that might not be probed. For example, if you are feeling somber because you made a mistake at work or were late for an appointment, try doing something for someone else. Feeling like you let yourself down is tough so helping someone else returns the enamel of your character.
Gifts to Yourself:
- Ask for help when you need it
- Intentionally be a contrarian to restore balance
- Find time to exercise
- Engage with things you are passionate about
- Say "No"
The year 2020 will live in infamy for more than a few reasons. Perhaps one of the greatest grievances has been the social distance that has altered community dynamics. The national urge to convert the masses to homebodies was well-received but for others, this might have knocked their self-care procedures out of balance. The adage that says "the best things in life are free" has been the lingering aroma of the years' lessons and only grows more ambrosial by the day. These gifts to yourself are some of the priceless commodities of life!