Karyn's Self-Care Solution

Some times you need a reminder!

Without going into too many details, the past few months (the past year really) have been trying, stressful and often overwhelming. The past few weeks especially. Financial problems, career stress, even the home that is usually my sanctuary has become a major stressor.

So what does a Get It Together Girl do when the going gets tough? She rolls up her sleeves and works that much harder. But (and this is a big but) there are limits. When you reach those limits, cracks begin to appear. Things fall through those cracks and as the stress continues, those cracks become bigger and more perilous.

Stress manifests in different ways. This is what it looks for me.

• Insomnia: All week I lived off of 2 to 3 hours a night.
• Poor Diet: Sleepy and stressed, I went to my go tos: caffeine (Cokes and coffee), junk food (potato chips and Snickers bars) and fast food (Quarter Pounders).
• Emotional: Irritable, weepy and culminating in a major panic attack
• Forgetful: I had to record an interview for my podcast and I forgot to turn on the recorder, so I lost an hour’s worth of an amazing interview.
• Withdrawal: I slink into a corner when the going gets really tough. I don’t reach out to friends or use my support system like I should.
• Poor Judgment: After a series of air conditioner issues, the unit was running but I noticed there seemed to be water damage in the ceiling of my garage. After several days of progressive worsening damage, I decided to check it out. I climbed up to the space over the garage, slipped off of a beam and almost fell through the dry wall, ending up bruised and creating a big hole in my garage.

I knew I needed to do something to get back on track. So here was Karyn’s Self-Care Solution:

• Social: Friday night had a girl’s night out. We met for dinner and say Magic Mike: XXL. It felt good to be around friends. I needed that.
• Rest: When I got home, I ran a warm bath and went to bed. 12 hours later, I woke up. I needed that.
• Diet: After a good night’s sleep (finally) it was time to deal with my diet. I went to the grocery store, loaded up on fruits and veggies. I had a big salad for lunch and a green smoothie. For the first time in over a week, I actually drank water.

For the rest of the day, I am catching up on some TV, journaling, hanging out with the dog and resting (and getting off the computer after I post this). Not up for fireworks tonight but it’s okay. I feel like my old self. Sure, I have things to do for my podcast. I have chores to take care of. But you know what? All of that can wait.

Going forward, I am going to make sleep and diet a priority. This week I plan on getting back to 9Round and working out too. You see, self-care at its most basic level isn’t about mani-pedis and bubble baths. It is about doing what you have to do to take care of your needs. I’m taking care of me.