Consistent Self Care versus Emergency Self Care
I see it time and time again , women that have pushed themselves to the brink.
Most of these women's lives have come to a screeching halt because they are exhausted, sick and disconnected from themselves and their own needs.
I liken it to an energetic pendulum that swings from one extreme to another, kind of like feast or famine - one month full of energy and productivity and the next month heading towards exhaustion, overwhelm and burn-out. It is usually dramatic and unexpected.
After working with so many of these women (and having been one of these women myself ) I have noticed the following patterns:
They get their sense of self worth from what they can ‘do’ and achieve, ie. their productivity.
They put everyone else's needs before their own self care.
They are WAITING FOR PERMISSION either externally or internally to take time for themselves.
They find it hard to be CONSISTENT with any self care routine or practices because they only look after themselves when they have reached an energetic low and are feeling really bad. Once they are feeling better they drop their practices (until the next time).
They have a strong tendency towards perfectionism and ‘doing it all’.
They underestimate the value of resting and restoring themselves as they see it as ‘non-productive’ and a waste of time.
I TOTALLY KNOW IT - I was totally one of these women before I started a consistent yoga practice.
My nervous system was so amped up I could hardly lie still. In actual fact I used to leave class before savasana - my teacher would wave me off .
But intuitively I knew that there was a goodness in yoga that I needed for myself and to help me become a better mother and human being.
And that's how I came to specialise in teaching restorative yoga and working one on one with women help to them re-connect , accept and care for themselves despite the busyness of their lives.
The more we can bring the practices of rest and restoration to our lives on a consistent basis the more our life energy will be balanced so we are not swinging between the extremes of the pendulum.
The way that we do this is finding the practices that nourish, support and replenish us and doing these practices, if possible, on a daily basis. This may be as simple as drinking more water, going for a gentle walk in nature, eating fresh and healthy food, gentle yoga and meditation.
We need to unhook ourselves from the story that correlates our productivity with our sense of worth, and to be less preoccupied with doing life perfectly.
We are all human - messy and imperfect.
So let's keep doing the things that make us FEEL good and making a pact with ourselves to be consistent with these practices, knowing that we are nourishing and sustaining the energy of our lives and not swing from one extreme to another.
- Tanya x