Self Care: Let’s Try This Again, Shall We?

I have been a little quiet lately. Do you know those times in our lives in which we sort of lose our shit and completely go off-rail with our centering?  That happened to me this past winter. And what is so incredibly crazy is that I am usually at my optimal mental health during the winter months! For me to have come undone at every one of my seams during my favorite time of the year, I knew I had to acknowledge the wake-up call at my feet. I needed to take a step back, assess the damage, reevaluate, and realign my self-care plan. So, let’s try this again, Ruthie.

What went wrong

Honestly, I could write for months about what went wrong; however, I will only give you the short version. I, quite simply, became a table with only one leg that could no longer keep its stability. The hardest part was recognizing the pattern of forgetting to put me first. Often, we tend to feel we aren’t worthy of putting ourselves and our physical/mental health first. And, what I mean by that is, we get wrapped up in taking care of others and forgetting about self-care. It is so effortless to do, and it is challenging to notice when we are doing it.

Assessing the damage

I learned a precious tidbit of truth that WE ALL FUCKING KNOW, but we don’t always live by: When we don’t take care of our physical health, our mental health follows suit.

I had completely ignored any schedule I had before eating at the right times, getting enough sleep, and connecting with my mind, heart, and spirit. And, because I became so busy and ignored myself, I turned to efficiency when it came to eating. Eating a massive bowl of pasta at 10 pm wasn’t exactly the best choice for me.

Mindfulness, love, spiritual wellness, and self-care were attributes I could not be the voice of if I were to continue being a complete mess.

Small changes with body, mind, heart, and spirit

I dove deep into rediscovering who and where I was, who and where I wanted to be, and how I wanted to feel. My body wanted to move more often and rest at all the right times. Self-care came to the forefront of my needs, so I began taking more time for myself in various ways.

•  I carved out time to journal, read, and work through a few mental barriers that were crippling me.
• I enrolled in a plant-based cooking certification course to push myself toward a healthier me.  Embracing more nutrient-dense choices when it comes to eating has been a life-changing experience for me. I cannot wait to share what I am learning!
• Meditation has become a morning routine, whether it be for 5 or 15 minutes, to empty my mind and prepare for the day.
• I retrieved the invisible box I had buried containing my purpose, meaning, values, and connection to become reacquainted with it all again.  Let’s just say; I have plenty to sort out and keep myself occupied for a while.

The next chapter

With all of these shifts occurring, changes will take place with the direction of this blog. I wish to exude inspiration for growth within every one of you. I want to push for my readers to have all four legs attached to THEIR table: body, mind, heart, and spirit….total wellbeing. When one is out of balance, they all follow suit. Let’s try this again and, let’s do it together!

A great start to creating a vision for your rediscovery will look something like this:

• Practice gratitude daily
• Ask yourself where you are at this moment and what it is that you are seeking
• Write your intentions down and give them your complete attention
• Be kind to yourself and take baby-steps toward those intentions
• Slow the fuck down, breathe, and stay present

Let us put our legs back on our tables so we can share a beautiful, healthy, and bountiful feast! I have shared this Sans Tuna No Tuna Salad to death only because it is one of my absolute favorite things to eat in the world. I have since omitted the eggs and serve it up on crispy romaine leaves and quick-pickled (with apple cider vinegar) sliced radishes. Give yourself a little love and eat something beautiful!

* Start with everything you need for the recipe; your mise en place!