My son Connor was born on January 10th of this year. Talk about your insides coming out! (sorry I couldn't not) Anyway ahem, In March, just as he turned 2 months old we discovered that the main drain pipe in our 100 year old house had rusted out. The water had leaked under the hardwood floors, seeped into and ruined the base of the cabinets (we have a basement kitchen, a.k.a Portuguese kitchen around these parts)and soaked up into the walls. As you can imagine, this created a bit of a stressful situation for me as I was still trying to figure out how to take care of my little baby boy, minus the sleep part of daily living, plus the raging hormones. Although I attempted to live the three P's patience, purpose and passion, in that order, my "uglies" came out in many ways. Now I don't like my "uglies" and have yet to find anyone who does. It has taken me years to actually recognize and admit that when I get a case of the uglies it is time to take care of the insides by being really good to myself on the outside.
I do an activity with my clients that I learned when I was working with my own health counselor. You make a list of all of the self care activities you do for yourself that make you feel like a million bucks and when the "uglies" come out you start doing things off your list until the uglies have been replaced by your wonderful amazing self again. EXTREME SELF CARE, EXTREME SELF CARE, EXTREME SELF CARE. I am still trying to get good at this but I can say that over the years I have gotten better. And when life happens I go to my list and start doing for me. Sometimes it is as simple as staring my day with a protein shake that has berries and greens powder in it and sometimes I might need to go to my list and keep doing things from the list until that passionate, patient girl we all know as Jenny returns.
Here are just a few items from my list, please feel free to start your own and borrow anything from mine that you like ;-) Be careful, you just might feel really good if you start and use your own... Go ahead, I dare you!
THE LIST:
Get my nails and toes done
Take a nice long power walk at a really beautiful place
Call a friend that will encourage me to do something nice for myself, we should all have one of these and if you don't, call me I will be that girl! 508-965-3469
Eat a big bowl of raw greens with my favorite salad veggies for lunch then have a piece of dark chocolate for dessert. I like Green and Blacks 80%
Turn on the music and dance around the house with my son Connor and laugh hysterically together.
Bake some cookies with my step son Dawson
Go to my Chiropractor and get adjusted (mine just happens to be my husband) if you need one of those call him, you can find his number @ www.polochickwellness.com His name is Brian, tell him I sent you ;-)
Take a road trip
My list changes as my life changes, add and delete from your list as often as needed.
I will post some pics of my basement as it reaches completion. Life happens, enjoy the journey and when the uglies surface, and they will, go to your list:-)
