Category: self-love

Self-care Sunday: treat yourself

Posted on by Grayson

Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough to be where you are? It’s something that I’ve struggled with a lot and it seems to be really common among abuse survivors AND chronically awesome peeps. Hooray for the double-timing!

Anyhow, here are some ideas to help with that.

If that didn’t help, maybe you can embrace your different-ness like me!

Being different is beautiful. We know it because it’s a trait that we love to see in others. Maybe you love how Fit Aimee handles her illness issues or how funny Hurt Blogger is or how supportive Dawn is with #spooniechat. Each of them is someone you like because of the things that make them different than others.

Why are you treating yourself any differently?

Sometimes I think honestly it’s because we don’t know where to start. You have to learn who YOU really are, embrace him or her, and stop caring about what other people think.

One thing that can help is to date yourself. I mean, you don’t just marry someone without getting to know them, so why keep existing without knowing yourself?

My favorite date I’ve taken myself on was probably ghost hunting in San Francisco for a night while I was out there visiting Sammy. I needed to be there, but I also needed to do something for me too. The first date I took myself on, though, was to the movies. I hit the early morning showing of The Dark Knight Rises.

It felt funky to buy myself my own popcorn and sit alone in the theater… but I also was able to sit right up by the screen and ignore the very few other people around. After the movie I got a pedicure for the first time and loved it, even if it was awkward.

I try to do something every day for myself now because of how nice it felt to have that time. It might be going for a drive or indulging on food or buying ANOTHER new purse. It all depends on what it feels like I need at the time.

Some people think the idea of loving yourself is weird. I gotta tell you a story…

My social studies teacher in eighth grade really got me. He helped me to stop being so afraid of answering questions and being smart in front of others. He also was really supportive of me when I was having rough times. I told him at one point how annoyed I was that I wasn’t normal and he stopped me right there.

Normal, he said, was so boring. No one is normal because we’re all so different. Instead of trying to fit into this invisible mold, we should work on breaking it and being as weird as we can… because weird, it turns out, is the norm.

Kudos to you, Mr. Wayland, for planting that idea into my head.

Even though it’s painful or awkward sometimes, I’m embracing my weird. And I love it.

If I ever forget, I just remember my favorite place full of weird back in Oregon:

Self-care Sunday: saying no and resting (aka flare up essentials!)

Posted on by Grayson

It is so hard for everyone to create boundaries, but especially those of us with chronic illnesses. We often think that we have to overcompensate for our “shortcomings” or illness issues by taking on too much and not saying no enough. We all have to learn that no isn’t a bad word – it can really save us as long as we practice.

One of the things that I learned at AI last weekend was how important it is for us to not only say no but to REST and get help. Those aren’t always things that we’re good at – heaven knows I’m not! – but they’re important skills for us to have. Another huge thing we need? To stop pushing ourselves so much. If, like me, you’ve worried about how people will perceive you then, don’t. If someone truly cares about you, they’ll be glad that you take a time out when you need it.

Right now that is something that I’m practicing. Despite the fact that I’m flaring, I really want to do more things to prove that I’m still able. One of the hard things with chronic illness is that your body isn’t quite as dependable as we might like. Right now my abilities are changing moment to moment, and that’s really hard to mentally process… especially if you’re into having control. Of course, a huge part of that too is wanting to believe or prove that we aren’t lesser beings for being ill.

If you feel that way often, please recognize that it’s okay to want to talk with a therapist. There is such a huge mental health stigma in our society and it scares many people away from getting help they need. If you’re in that boat, please don’t feel afraid to talk about what you’re going through even if it is just with a trusted person in your life or with the spoonie community online in an anonymous format. If you’re feeling bummed, there are a lot of fun things you could do to momentarily cheer yourself up. I’ll add another – cake!

Maybe you need some tools to help you rest instead. I love this post from Buzzfeed on cool websites. My favorites are this 60-second meditation website, paint with sloths (does this even need an explanation??), The Office Stare Machine, and Calming Manatee.

So this coming week, let’s try to work on ways to say no and ways to rest up when we need to. It isn’t always easy.

Self-Love Sunday: allowing yourself to feel emotions

Posted on by Grayson

I was just talking with my sister about how I don’t like how our society handles the word strength. We tell people to be strong during hard times, essentially telling them to stuff all the negative or sad emotions they may have during that time way down and ignore them. And we comply.

We may go to therapy to get out those emotions instead of expressing them to others. We may take up martial arts or be gruff with others. We stop communicating as we should, insulating ourselves from anything that could possibly hurt us. We act tough, manly, impervious to problems around us.

Why do we do that? Why do we deny ourselves the ability to experience our emotions?

I have learned that I can’t do it anymore.

A long time ago, I was told to be strong by several people. I think it started when I was first sick and everyone thought I was dying. I saw how much it hurt others if I ‘bothered’ them with how I wasn’t feeling well. That continued on and I didn’t really speak up for myself.

I held in emotions, becoming frankly a giant asshole. Kelsey would do something silly like spill water on me and I’d go off and get angry instead of playful.  I’ve not always been a nice sister, or person for that matter. I’m coming to terms with the fact that it’s okay. No one is perfect. Kelsey and I have done a lot to piss each other off – but we’re always there for each other when we need support, and that’s the point of sisters.

I have learned that holding in emotion is literally toxic for me. If I have a big emotion and don’t express it but instead hold it in, it causes a few of my chronic pain illnesses to act up. Then it turns into a cycle of holding in emotions and getting worse and worse.

That’s a big part of why I’ve been writing more lately. Getting out emotions and writing things to remind myself what to do has been really cathartic.

I’ve written a lot about dealing with my childhood recently. It’s being a really difficult process. Everyone acts like there’s no way dysfunction goes into abuse or that they’ve experienced it. There is no normal, but there is definitely a point where dysfunction is much more than that.

As a part of all this, it’s important for me to get emotions off my chest. I’ve written before about how healing music can be for me, so I’ve put together a playlist to handle those emotions when I’m at work or in situations where music is allowed but it may not be the time/place to deal with things otherwise.

I hope you enjoy the collection of angsty music with a little ‘I’m worth it’ music thrown in.
On another note, T came with me to therapy this past week. I made a lot of progress because of it… and cried a shit ton.
I’ve realized that I can’t build new relationships with family without dealing with the traumatic experiences that I’ve been through. They help me hold onto a lot of anger, which makes me hold back on sharing emotions or information.
I also really realized that, no matter what happens, I will always have T & Kelsey & those cute niblings.
I’m lucky to have amazing close friends and family that help all over the place, but y’all are icing on the cake.
What are some ways that you enjoy getting emotions out?

Happy toxic bitches day!

Posted on by Grayson
Seriously though, happy mother’s day to you awesome ladies out there.
For you not so awesome ladies?

If my recent post on the crud with my mother resonated with you, today may be a pretty rough day for you. I will freely admit that it is for me, mostly because of the expectations that you be with your parents on these made-up holidays to celebrate their sacrifices.

Not all parents are worthy of such admiration.

Parents also need to understand that every little sacrifice they make isn’t on the kid. That’s an adult choice and shouldn’t be held over your kid’s head.

To clarify, we kids didn’t ask to be born right? Parents knowingly engaged in something they knew could bring about kids, trying or not. They knew what they could be getting themselves into.

A good parent is selfless and doesn’t need these cheesy ass candy company holidays.

On that note, check out the links below. Some of them are parent specific, but a lost of them focus on self-care/love after rough patches or dealing with toxic people.

We can start with those darn parental units.

I shared this post about rough mother’s day issues on my facebook page the other day. It outlines a few ways mothers specifically can be abusive. I have to say that my mother falls into each of these categories, which is kind of frightening.

Sound familiar? Here’s another story on growing up in a similar situation and another on how the cycle of abuse works for abusers.

Being someone who is empathic or can easily cultivate compassion for others is really hard when you’re in an abuse situation as this article discusses. This woman discusses how her mother’s death and the resulting PTSD led her to develop more compassion.

Perhaps your abusive situation, past or present, surrounds more of an intimate relationship like this. It can be so hard to get out, and it doesn’t help when people judge or make decisions to ‘help’ that actually can put you in more danger.

For some people, friends are the problem. Perhaps you have friends that don’t respect your time or dominate conversations always. One way among others to work on this is to express yourself, but that sadly doesn’t always work.

Perhaps the first step to healing from this type of toxicity is to learn that you are worthy of saying no. You not only have it in your power, but you have a right to stand up for yourself. You are worthy of love, and if you’re not getting it, get out!

In the healing process, I give myself pep talks. It’s perfectly normal and we all do it from time to time. For me, it’s just a little more constant right now. I have to reassure myself that I’m on the right path in many things, that I’m worth the good choices I’m making, and that it doesn’t matter if I’m quirky.

My quirkiness is what kept me alive. My quirkiness is what makes me fun to be around. And I’m not ever going to cut it out.

It took a lot for me to get so comfortable talking about what I’ve been through. I’m still really realizing some of it.

When I started therapy again a few months ago, I set a goal with my therapist that I really want to learn who *I* am. That requires really dealing with the experiences I’ve had and putting myself back together… even though one could argue that I’ve never fully been ‘together’ to begin with. I have to take the power back and control my own life. I also have to be patient when that doesn’t move as quickly as I would’ve wanted.

Because of the fears that were instilled in me as a child, I have pretty good anxiety. It can be really hard to deal with, although medication is helping. I still get overwhelmed in crowds, but I’ve also learned to embrace and lean into that uncomfortable situation. I’ve learned that it’s okay to not be okay, and I’m okay with that.

I believe that self-care and self-love can change the world. I believe that it has changed my life for the better. If I bug you personally about self-care and love, it’s because I care about you and want you to be well and happy and all that good stuff.

It also allows me to be a bitch when I need to be, and I’m kinda loving it.

Perhaps the biggest thing for me was starting to date myself. I mean, how could you love yourself without a courtship phase?

You really can’t.

Do I love myself fully? Not yet, but I’m getting there. I’ll continue to keep dating myself until I find that place. I hope that you do too.

Don’t know where to start on self-love? Check out this link. Learn about the power of self-worth. Read those quotes on strength.

Take care of yourself today. Please. Treat yourself the way you’d treat your closest friend – with compassion, tenderness, understanding, and love.

Meditation Monday: Link Roundup on Self-Love, Self-Care, and Buddhism

Posted on by Grayson

With everything going on lately, I haven’t worked on new blog posts for a bit. However, I’ve been collecting some links to share with you – enjoy!

If you’re feeling off and out of control of your own destiny, it’s not a bad idea to check in with yourself, especially with your intuition. I really connected with the second point on this, which is to talk to yourself like a friend. That idea is really what has turned things around for me self-love and -care wise. You have GOT to practice self-care. It’s not optional – it’s something you have to make time for and do. One big reason? It helps us handle stress better.

Something else that’s helped me a lot is learning to say no. It’s hard to break the habit of wanting to please people. As someone who grew up in a home where you didn’t want to upset someone, I find it’s even harder than I ever thought it would be. It’s definitely something I’m working and making progress on though, which eliminates a large amount of self-loathing and doubt as well. Saying no takes a lot of courage. We should always remember that.

Recognizing abusive tendencies is hugely important, and is taking the time to learn about and find yourself once you’re out. Self-discovery happens at different times for everyone – I’m just glad I got to it before I hit 27! Healing from abuse is hard work, but it’s so incredibly rewarding. Also, as a reminder to myself, it’s never okay to deny the emotions you’re feeling. That doesn’t mean you have to act on them though. Something that’s important to do is to identify emotional triggers so that you can work on handling them.

Learning to let things go is a huge step we all must take. It’s not easy to do unless you learn to say no and love yourself though. It’s very easy to make excuses to stay in a difficult place or in contact with abusive people. There’s often peer pressure associated with these things, which doesn’t make it any easier.

I really enjoy reading things that other people would tell their younger selves. This one is focused on a person in their 20s, so pretty relevant for me right now.

The last point in this article hit me hard – be a rebel with a cause. You don’t have to follow what others are doing, and you can still make an impact by being unique. Don’t compare yourself to others either. Something that might help is to make a fuck it list (yep, you read that right).

A few weeks ago, I talked about loving kindness meditation and how it helps me. If you’re working on the same practice, here are some other intentions you can use in addition to ‘may you be well’ and the like. On that note, I’ve spoken a lot about Buddhism as of late. It’s something that comforts me and gives me tangible goals to work towards, not unlike the author of this piece. If you’re interested in learning more, you can always ease into it by learning about meditation terms or short five minute introductions. You can also investigate mindfulness on a very basic level and see what you think.

Even if you’re not into Buddhism, there are still ideas you can take from it to enrich your life. A few are included in this piece on mindfulness in relationships. It can even help us to think about our final breath. Keep in mind that meditation isn’t always easy to get into or a calming experience.

If you keep debating a choice, read this piece. Make an educated decision – but make sure to make your decision. Oftentimes it seems as though we get wish-washy and refuse to make a choice, even if it’s incredibly important. Sometimes the problem is that we start living on autopilot, isn’t it? Here’s a list of ways to stop that.

Spending time with my sister recently was so very much needed, especially with Sam still struggling. It also gave me some time to travel by myself, which is always an adventure. I’m starting to love things like driving in downtown San Francisco without my GPS on to see what I can see. I’m finding comfort even out of my element, and I love it.

If you’re having a really hard day, remember to be grateful, to let go, and to listen. You can always try some things to restart the day too, or remember that you can allow yourself to be imperfect. It all goes back to the beginning of this post – you have to learn to be your best friend so you can care for yourself better.

Side note: The Elephant Journal site limits you to three (3) free articles per day, so you may need to bookmark some to read in the coming days.

Self-Care Sunday: dealing with the past

Posted on by Grayson

Real talk: you do seriously need to watch this. If you haven’t yet:

Kimmy: I can’t even do a dream date right!
Titus: Probably because you’re bottling up the past. The past is not a root beer Kimmy Schmidt!

Today, we’re going to talk about what to do for yourself when you’re dealing with rough things from the past.

Do you feel like your should-be self is interfering with your right-now life? And who you want to be? Check out this piece. And if you feel like you were over some past things but recently discovered you weren’t, please please please read this post from Blessing Manifesting. Spot on.

It’s important in so many ways to both own and tell your story. Maybe you’re on the path to finding out your story and learning why it’s so important to share. Remember that there are always ways to get through the hard times.

Kimmy: Do you think going through something like that – a war or whatever – makes you a better person? Or, deep down, does it just make you bitter and angry?

Have you been abused by family or others too? There are lots of guides out there on how to heal, but I found this one helpful. One really tough part about all of this is figuring out that you contain worth and you matter. You’re not just taking up space. People like me often find comfort in becoming a bit of a control freak. In reality, we need to let go and work on how to deal with less emotional pain. Sometimes that means working through the abuse. Sometimes that means ignoring it. For others, that means focusing on the good that’s come out of the situation.

The important thing to remember is that standing up for yourself gives you the power in the relationship and negates much of the power they hold over you. Learn to say no and set up real and proper boundaries. It isn’t easy and you will have set backs, but believing in yourself and your experiences will help get you to where you need to be.

If you’re dealing with PTSD or other issues that cause flashbacks, learn about how and why they happen.

If you can’t remove yourself from a situation by cutting contact like I did, try these steps when you’re in a high pressure situation. It’s easier said than done to keep your cool, but it can help to step back from the emotions of the situation.

Make sure that you address all the dimensions of self care that there are. Help the others around you by talking about empathy and asking for help when you need it. If you need it, check out resources on DBT and other ways to get through crisis moments. Processing traumatic events is really hard. Maybe practice some self care? If you’re really stuck on that though, try helping someone else. It always makes me feel better.

It won’t be easy but you can make it – because you’re:

Meditation Mondays: Loving Kindness

Posted on by Grayson

There are a ton of different kinds of meditation out there. Some of them are a lot harder to focus on than others, like those where you’re dealing with difficult emotions. One of my favorites can be easier or harder depending on your focus and your mental state.

Loving kindness meditation (also referred to as Metta or Compassion meditation) is a great practice no matter your level of expertise. It helps with all sorts of things from PTSD and depression to happiness and self-love.

The basics of the meditation are as follows:

  1. Focus on the self. You can use any number of phrases, but the most common ones are along the lines of ‘May I be well/happy/safe/peaceful/at ease.’ You can even use all of these! This isn’t something to skip over – you really need to sit with the intention of these words guided at yourself. Show yourself compassion and love. It’s totally okay to get emotional when you do this, especially if you have self-love of esteem issues.
  2. Think about someone you love dearly. It could be your sister, husband, best friend – whoever you want to focus on at that moment. Some people focus on the first person to pop in their head while others try to pick someone who may be having a difficult time. Others do a mix. Find the idea that works for you.
  3. Focus on someone you respect – it could be your boss, a co-worker, a religious or academic figure. The important thing is for this person to be someone you appreciate and respect.
  4. Think about a neutral person towards whom you don’t really have any feelings one way or another. It could be a neighbor, the checker you always seem to get at Target, someone at work you don’t really interact with, etc.
  5. This is the really hard one… Focus on someone you have hostile feelings or dealings with. It could be a parent, health care professional you’re stuck with, co-worker, etc. It’s okay to feel anger, grief, and other negative emotions. Let yourself experience them. If it is too difficult, skip this part until you can build up to it – or pick someone less contentious.
  6. Now turn all of that hope, that potential for joy and happiness and love to ALL beings. May all beings find happiness. May all beings be peaceful and at ease. It especially helps to end on this note. You may be upset with the last step, and this can redirect you.
You start off with that focus on yourself – May I be well. May I be safe. May I be happy. Then you use those same phrases with the others. For example, here is a version of all of these that I might use: May my sister be peaceful. May my guinea pigs be happy and know how much we love them. May Dr. Vance be well. May Janice be happy. May Sharla at the bank be healthy. May my mother cease to be bitter. May all beings be safe and cared for.
Feel free to add to this too. Include your pets, plants, inanimate objects – whatever you can feel comfortable at the very least practicing sending love to.
It’s very likely that you will begin to experience a lot of emotions. For some, that comes right away once you start. For others, it’s something that takes time or only happens if you’re dealing with some rough things. I find that this practice helps me to put into practice and do something with the love that I have for all living beings. Everyone deserves these things – to be happy and healthy and safe and peaceful, etc. This practice can help remind us that those we don’t care for deserve those things too.
I’ve been skipping over part 5 for obvious reasons lately. Until I work through some of the things I experienced, I can’t wish my mother or my grandmother well – even if they wouldn’t know I was doing it. Everyone in my life is amazing and here for a reason, so I don’t really have anyone else to focus on. As I get further in my therapy, I believe that I can pick this back up. I may follow my own advice in the next paragraph and see if that helps too.
Some people find it helps to focus on certain events while practicing this meditation. Maybe for part 5, you focus on someone who carried out a terrorist attack or hurt others in a similar way. Some people focus on someone who paid you a kindness recently – someone who helped you at work or in your personal life – for part 3. You can focus on the event – perhaps your favorite coworker from your last job took you out for margaritas recently to catch up. You could focus on the joy you experienced while with her, how you feel at ease with her, and send that back in this practice – May Janice find herself at ease and enjoying her life.
The important thing is to keep going with this. Do it once a day or once a week – a far enough span that you feel comfortable doing it and can recover from any emotions you may have. Again, this can be a very emotional process.
The thing I love about meditation is that there’s no focus on being perfect, because perfection doesn’t exist in an attainable way. Don’t focus on perfection – focus on doing what you can to feel as happy and safe and peaceful as you can. This is one of that meditation practices that helps me get to that place. I hope it can help you too.

Self-Care Sundays: focus on you

Posted on by Grayson

I picked up a workbook on PTSD and looked at another workbook with my therapist. We both agreed that working in at least one book would be a great idea for me to feel like I’m making progress between appointments. It’ll be interesting, because I’m used to overanalyzing negative aspects of my character or mistakes but not just analyzing how I feel or how I’m really dealing with things.

I’m going to challenge you to tackle at least one of the following things for yourself this week.

Has my talk of toxic/negative people resonated with you? Check out how to let go of toxic relationships and rediscover yourself from Tiny Buddha. There are even tips on what to do if you are forced to be around these people. I recognize that not everyone can escape these people. A huge part of why I share my experiences, both with toxic people and illness, is because I know people need help and that talking about these things can be so helpful. After reading this article on helping others who aren’t as privileged, you might too.

Have you been intrigued by my posts about meditation? Check out how it can help you release stress & find emotional freedom.

Are you working on how to like yourself too? Head over to read how to master self acceptance from Mind Body Green.

Do you find yourself scared to handle new things, even though they’d be amazing for you? Check out this piece on getting comfortable with uncertainty in the face of new possibilities. While you’re at it, why not check out this article on letting go of expectations and this one on letting go of control too? If you identify with these things, you may be an overachiever – and there are ways to get better!

Are you hella stressed out but have a tight budget that won’t budge for relaxation items? Find cheap ways to unwind here. On that note, read about the five things to remember when life feels insane and these nine practices to make your life less stressful. This are all great ways to give yourself a break! Your morning routine can be used to lessen your anxiety too – I wish I knew that a while back! If that doesn’t work, maybe this article on ceasing fear will.

I’ve talked a lot about creating healthy boundaries, and I found this article on the subject just in time.

This article is supposed to be about how to become a morning person, but it really just encourages me to get up and do something! This one helped me learn about staying more in the present, something that is SO important with anxiety and depressive disorders. If you’re looking for scientific reasons to head outside, you can learn much more here!

No matter what things you struggle with, come read this piece about the key to loving yourself, other people, and life. You’ll be happy you did! Maybe it will inspire you to tell someone else that you love them or inspire you to be a better, more present friend.

I’d love to hear more about the challenge you decided to take on and how you feel it helps you.

Self-Care Sundays: positive doodles

Posted on by Grayson
I love love love Positive Doodles. Em is super talented, and I always find myself smiling whenever I stumble across her art. Her art, if you couldn’t tell from her blog title, is all about positivity and encouragement. Honestly, it’s a huge part of why I’ve improved as much as I have. T bought her calendar and we have it up in the hallway to our bathroom & bedroom, so I pass by it several times a day. It always makes me happy and makes me think I’m doing well, even when times are hard.
Why? See for yourself.

 

 

 

One of the things I love is that she does a lot of illness-related ones:

And I’ve always hated taking naps because it felt so unproductive, until recently. How can you argue with a cute fox?

 

 

These doodles have also helped me in dealing with my family issues. I’ve had some people say that it isn’t okay to cut off family, no matter how poorly they make you feel…

 

 

The guinea pig one just makes me happy, and reminds me that I’m not a bad writer. I just don’t always focus on my writing in the way that I should.
Today I want you to check out Em’s blog and check out her doodles. Which ones are your favorite?

Self-Care Sunday: when being sick is actually great

Posted on by Grayson

I was really sick this last week. For the first time in a long time, that was the only thing bugging me!

Around the 5th, I started getting a cold… or so I thought. By that Saturday, I was feeling pretty rotten and had started coughing up some sputum along with wheezing. I did have one cough that made me take a step back and say “Hmm, last time I had that kind of cough was when I had bronchitis.”

Maybe should’ve listened to that little voice instead of shaking it off.

On Mondays I’m in my office alone, so I went even though I was feeling pretty rotten. I hacked away all day and tried to eat something spicy for lunch to see if I could drain all the congestion out. Later in the day I called my primary care doc to try to get an appointment, which they couldn’t do until Wednesday morning. The nurse was going to talk with the doc and call me back, but she had to settle for a message in our EMR system and the doc didn’t respond until after the nurse had left. Their concern was that my childhood asthma had popped back up… I have no doubt that my asthma is still around because I do have a terrible mucus problem, which can be a sign of asthma… and it’s actually kind of serious. Good thing I’m working with some docs on asthma training or I’d never have known!

Cue another frustration about growing up sans medical care and in a bad situation.

I get a call back from this nurse Tuesday morning who explains it’s likely that my cold has kicked up my asthma, but that I should head to urgent care to make sure it’s nothing more serious as they didn’t have any appointments available. After an hour of watching my new passion, Golden Girls, I donned my Batman underoos and headed over to urgent care.

I proceeded to wait for about an hour before getting an exam room, where I waited another 20-25 minutes. The doc took a listen to my chest and I was grateful for once that I was wheezing! He said that while there might be asthma at play, I definitely had bronchitis.

Cue the nebulizer!

I had to run around after I got out of UC to pick up my z-pack, coughing pills, and inhaler… and a few goodies since I wasn’t allowed to go to work until Thursday. I got home a little after 1:30, took some pills, and settled in for a self-snuggle.
Wednesday was a great self-care day. I allowed myself to do many things on this great list, from staying clear from my laptop to eliminating shoulds to enjoying guilty pleasures. It’d been forever since I rented something from Redbox, so I watched Big Hero 6 and Rosewater. Both were great movies, and now I really want Baymax.

I hate being what I call ‘normal people’ sick. Upper respiratory infections are even worse, because I can’t really play with my guinea pigs. They can die within 24 hours of getting one… which makes for one paranoid piggie momma.

Last night I finally got to play with them again. They were so excited!! I cleaned their cage while daddy piggie learned how hard it is to watch Gus. He has SO much energy.

It really took me being sidelined with bronchitis to get enough rest. It’s funny because I feel like I don’t do very much on a regular basis, but doing nothing helped show me that I was wrong.

I have a challenge for you!

Not everyone has to get scary sick to experience this type of rest. As a part of your self-care, I want you to pick a day where you can easily do very little. Keep track of all the things that you feel like you should be doing, but keep your to-do list very small. Only do small things you can easily accomplish or are that restful. Partake in hobbies you don’t have time for on a normal basis. Take a nap. Watch a trashy show or kids movies. Enjoy your favorite foods. Set aside a day to practice self-care and self-love – and let me know how you feel at the end of it. It’ll be hard, but I believe in you!