There are things I do daily and weekly to take care of my well-being. If you’d like to read about my daily self-care, you can read here. My routines change from time to time, but the following are the weekly anchors that have been going strong for the last few months, some of them for years. I do these things because they have positive consequences in terms of helping me live a meaningful life, one where I feel engaged with myself and others.
Weekly face mask. I tend to suck at skincare. I am getting better about washing my face before going to bed, but once a week I not only wash it (using the oil-cleansing method), but also apply a charcoal face mask followed by a light, yummy-smelling moisturizing oil. It feels indulgent and reminds me to slow down to relish the simple things.
Journalling and meditation. This one fits somewhere between daily and weekly and happens three to five times per week on an as-needed basis. When I have a jumble of thoughts and feelings or need to sort through a problem or set a goal, journaling is useful, as is sitting with uncomfortable feelings and creating room for them to exist. My meditation practice looks many ways from spending a few minutes noticing the breath to mindfully and slowly doing tasks to getting present by physically “dropping anchor”—planting my feet on the ground and engaging the five senses, one at a time.
Weekly weigh-in. I step on the scale every Friday morning, record the number in my journal, and then post the number to a small group of people who are committed to doing the same. These people are essentially strangers who come together to weigh in every week and have conversations throughout the week about all things body image, food, and habit related. We come from different walks of life and have vastly different ways of eating and lifestyles, but the thing that ties us together is our commitment to weighing in without fail. Why do I do this? It helps me to stay in touch with my body. It helps sway me toward healthy habits during the week, which has positive consequences for my mind and energy.
Weekly grocery shop/food prep. This is something my hubs and I do together. We plan out dinners for the week, go shopping, and prep. I will say I am very, very lucky because about 50 percent of the time after we’ve shopped, hubs preps our meals by himself; he gets in the zone and just goes. Knowing what we are eating every day is a psychological relief and frees up much decision making fatigue daily.
Weekly exercise. Once a week I do 20 minutes of cardio-type exercise. This has varied over the years. One year ago, I was doing some kind of high intensity or strength training workout 3 times per week for 10 minutes at a time. Right now, once a week works for me, that is, I can’t find enough reasons to push myself to exercise twice or three times per week. I am certain there will be a season when I will return to a greater amount of cardio and strength training, but this is what it is now.
And there you have it! My weekly self-care is not glamorous; in fact, it is pretty ordinary. But these things keep me anchored and feeling my best. I’d love to know what your weekly anchors are. Hit me up on @engagecounsellingbc on Instagram or @engagecounselling on Facebook!
Until next time,
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