We have talked about the in-between moments and let’s transition into the action part. With all of the reflection, living in the present is critical for growth and the actions we take keeps us going. So let me ask you this, what does a day of self-love and self-care look like? Let me show you what it can look like as I’m floating you through a normal Saturday on how I express self-love and self-care with a deeper dive into the meaning of the present.
5:30am – Waking Up to New Day
I’ve been waking up at this time without an alarm lately so it’s kinda my new norm. I take a moment and thank God and my body for waking up another day.
After proper hygiene and using the bathroom, I drink a glass of water. This first glass of water sets up my day. I acknowledge that my body needs water to operate, water that is clean and flows throughout my body. The water provides clarity to think rationally and to remind myself that I need to take care of myself. Without it, my body will struggle to maintain itself thus my day will be difficult to make it through.
I make a very small breakfast with another serving of water. Nourishment is key, the pace I eat and drink is a reminder to be patient today. In a world that operates in speed and burnout, my pace will show in my productivity. Better than rushing from objective to objective.
8am – Rest and Productivity
I rest a little before starting my day to take care of some house chores. I typically like Sunday to be the chore and resting day, but if home is where the heart is, well that home needs to be clean too! I give myself a few tasks, a few tasks that are simple and quick. Also, a task that requires more effort. A clean environment is so essential to feel rested, comfortable, and give yourself less to do the next day.
Alright enough with the schedule breakdown, I just wanted to show you how important it is to set up for your day to be successful by just loving and caring for yourself. Also, there is a mistake we often make when deciding what day to do self-care. Want to know the trick…it’s not what day or what time…it is every single day and every single moment we can be in the present.
Everything we do in life involves preparing, and the moment we take to prepare the body and soul is critical. The concept of waiting to love and to care for ourselves, waiting for the work week to finish, waiting after our errands and obligations…just to love and take care of ourselves??? Even though it’s hard to comprehend, I find myself and others not creating moments of self-love and self-care. I mentioned Saturday as my day, but why do I need to wait?
Self-love is the inner part of yourself that comforts, provides grace, reminds us that we are okay, to be patient, and we are loved. It comes at no expense and there are many ways to express self-love. I try to keep a mental note of when was the last time I looked at the mirror to say, “hey, it’s going to be okay. You are strong. You are tired. It’s okay to take a second.”
Self-care is the actions you take that fills your cup, makes you feel appreciated, and to be receptive to love. It’s the little extravagant things you can do to treat yourself. An amazing dinner, a night with family and friends, a spa day, watching a movie, listening to music, playing video games. It is the moments that slow down time and create moments that carry us through any obstacle.
Now, I will take you through my favorite things to do for self-love and self-care:
Reframing Mirror Moment
As I said earlier, I find great inner strength looking at the mirror. I see the bags under my eyes. Reframe it to say “you look tired and it’s because of all of the great work you do. You do so much and you deserve to relax. You don’t need to say anything about every project. Delegate some responsibilities and sleep.” I take a moment to remind myself of the good and life changing work I do, the love and communication I have with my loved ones, and the goals that I have. I smile and thank myself for being the man I inspired to be when I was a kid and hoping to continue to inspire others along the way.
Cooking a Meal
I absolutely love to cook, especially on a non-working day. I find so much joy and pride in cooking a meal with fresh ingredients to either recreate a classic dish or to whip up something through pure imagination. The aroma of the onions caramelizing, the brightness of the veggies, and the cooking of the meat to a perfection. The truly best part besides the first and last bite, is serving the meal to a loved one or friend. When I cook for my wife, she always thanks me for the meal and the time I took to make the food. When she takes that first bite and tells me…”needs just a little more seasoning, but it’s good.”
Ahh validation!!! Even if I do find a way to mess up, making a meal puts me in a trance and fills my soul.
A Gamer Forever
Playing video games offer a step away from reality, to experience a new world, soundtrack, lore of history, and character development. I love those experiences and opportunities to dive into the creative mind of the game creators. Plus, I am very challenge oriented, so the more difficult the game with the hardest difficulty is what I strive for. I have a set of old games that I revisit at least once every 1-2 years.
Health Boundaries
I used to dread trying to find ways to eat healthier to make my calorie count. I since then have evolved to consider the calories, but focus on the benefits. I try to be intentional about what the food will do for me, to me, and how it impacts my overall health. You know how we use the internet to look up so many random things. Well, looking up the benefits of food items is a good use of the internet.
Window Shopping/Shopping
Going to the mall and walking around is nostalgic of all the good memories with family and friends, but it’s a good excuse to walk around, to browse, and to have multiple conversations. I love to go shopping and to find ways to treat myself and others.
Home Spa Day
This part is actually kinda funny. My wife and I are such homebody people and we love to watch movies and/or play video games. We will find random moments to buy and use face masks with the foot wraps, put on a movie, play some video games, eat some junk food, and rest for the remainder of the night. I was never taught the benefits of face masks and such, but my wife taught me how the body and skin needs to be taken care of. And this was another way I can provide myself with some self-love.
How about you:
What are some things you do for self-love and self-care?
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