2919: Practicing Self-Care When Time is Hard to Find by Randi Kay with Becoming Minimalist

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Health Daily, Practicing Self-Care When Time is Hard to Find by Randi Kay with BecomingMinimalist.com and I'm your host and personal narrator, Dr. Neal. Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is the podcast where I read to you from some of the most popular health and fitness blogs online. And with that, let's keep this nice and short and get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:00:32] Practicing Self-Care When Time is Hard to Find by Randi Kay with BecomingMinimalist.com In a world where time seems more precious than gold and making to-do lists are now on our to-do list, it can feel like every second of our spare time is called for. In this scenario, the idea of making time for ourselves can feel overwhelming or even selfish. But what if there was a better way? What if this whole self-care thing was not just another task on your to-do list?

[00:01:02] What if it was a part of how you operated? Or better yet, what if your self-care actually made you feel like you had even more time? The term self-care has been commandeered by the wellness industry as of late and is often defined by activities ranging from lighting a candle to luxurious spa days. With this mentality, it can be hard to fathom self-care as a part of your everyday life.

[00:01:27] But the good news is that true self-care is more of a way of life than something you include on your to-do list. I define self-care as the act of tuning into your true needs and then acting accordingly. By this, I mean A, you take a moment to check in, B, listen to that wise part of yourself, and C, act on what you hear. That may look like items on your to-do list,

[00:01:55] such as getting a massage, going to therapy, or having a solid morning ritual. But the real magic happens when you bring self-care into your everyday life. And a great way to do this is to make tweaks to your current activities, or self-care power-ups, as I like to call them. Here are some examples of what that could look like. Let's start with taking a look at how you start your day. What are you listening to when you get ready in the morning?

[00:02:21] Is it some heavy news story, or could it be some music or a podcast that lifts you up? How you start your day sets the stage for how the rest of the day will go. So why not jazz up your getting ready routine with things that bring you joy? Save the news and other information consumption for later in the day. If you have a morning commute, this is a great time for a gratitude practice. Thinking or saying aloud what you are grateful for

[00:02:48] can put you in a wonderful mindset for taking on your workday or other commitments. There's a lot of power in leading with gratitude. Once you get going for the day, the next thing to consider is how you are going about your daily tasks. If you're sitting at a desk for hours at a time, take a look at how you are holding yourself. If you are hunched over and your head is jutting forward, adjust your posture to a more neutral position and get up and move around regularly.

[00:03:15] This little tweak alone can save your body from a lot of aches and pains. In any task you do, notice how you are breathing. Turn your shallow chest breathing into deep belly breaths. This not only takes tension away from your neck and shoulders, but calms the nervous system and keeps the abdomen healthy. You're breathing anyway, why not make it therapeutic? Moving to the end of the day, it's common to want to relax and veg out with your favorite TV show. If this is something you choose to do,

[00:03:45] I recommend powering up with some gentle stretching while you watch to make sure your body processes the stress of the day properly. This not only helps you stretch for longer periods of time, but it also nurtures your body's needs. Again, these are just some common examples, but the number of tweaks you can make are endless. If you're having a hard time knowing what to do, a helpful exercise is something I like to call this for that. Think how you can sub out an unhealthy choice for a healthier one.

[00:04:15] More water and a quick walk in the afternoon instead of a not-so-nutritious snack. A mindful breathing break instead of a social media break. Or getting up and talking to your co-workers instead of sending an email. You really don't need more time for self-care. You just need to swap something out for it. And these power-ups can make all the difference. Most of our body pain and life stressors were created by small and simple habits over time. So the best way to heal them is by small and simple habits.

[00:04:43] There's a popular quote floating around the internet that states, We are what we repeatedly do. And while the internet can't decide who actually said it, no one's debating its truth. Why not make sure what we repeatedly do serves us? And remember, it's not always about what you do, it's how you are doing it. Changing how you do something can make that task less draining and less stressful, giving you more energy to do meaningful things.

[00:05:10] Imagine if you weren't so maxed out by the end of the day. It would feel like you had more time and energy to play with your kids, gather with friends, or do other acts of self-care that you enjoy. Embrace the small and simple. Let your daily habits serve you. And trust that you have all the time in the world to be happy and healthy. You just listened to the post titled, Practicing Self-Care When Time Is Hard to Find

[00:05:38] by Randy Kaye with becomingminimalist.com And I'll be right back with my commentary. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. As I was reading today's article by Randy Kaye, something they suggested jumped out at me because I realized it's a power-up I often use. Randy asked us to think about how we start the day. For example, when we start getting ready in the morning, what are we listening to? Is it the latest news story, which is often bad news, or is it something more neutral or even uplifting?

[00:06:08] There was a time when on my morning commutes, I would listen to news stories the entire one and a half hours of my drive to work. By the time I got to work, I was in such a bad mood, it started taking a toll on my performance. I knew I didn't want to completely stop listening to the news because being informed about what's going on in the world is important to me. But I didn't have to listen to it for my entire commute.

[00:06:32] So, I decided I would only listen to the news on my commute for the first 5 or 10 minutes, just to get an idea of what's happening in the world, and then listen to something else. Now, I always have an audible book or inspiring podcast queued up and ready to go. And then, by the time I get to work, I'm in a great mood. Oh, and another nice side effect I've noticed? Sitting in traffic and being around rude drivers doesn't bother me nearly as much anymore.

[00:07:01] So, I encourage you to find your own power-ups and find what works for you. All right, that'll do it for another edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you for listening all the way through and for sharing the show with someone. Sharing the show is one of the best things you can do to keep this thing going. I hope you have a great rest of your weekend. And, of course, I'll be back here with more for you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.