Feed Yourself
As the days and weeks progress, I have started to make better decisions around self care when it comes to physical activity. I am finally realizing that all too often I had been pushing myself, always striving to do more with less, thinking that it was some type of achievement to do so much while running on empty. What I now know is that I am stronger and perform much better when I am properly fueled and rested, and there is a reason behind what I am doing. Not activity for the sake of always being on the go and being busy. Activity because it is a part of a greater plan, or because it brings happiness or is going to serve me and my body in some other way.
All too often I used being busy to escape feelings that I didn't want to experience. Instead of numbing through alcohol, drugs or other vices, I chose the "healthy" option of always being active. And as a result of this practice, I suffered repetitive injuries and ongoing exhaustion. I also did manage to escape feeling sadness, loneliness and dealing with my long-term issues around self esteem and self image.
One of the hardest steps in this journey has been to slow down. To start to let those feelings in, to live with them and realize it is okay experience them. They aren't what defines you, they are just a moment in time and you need to feel them in order to move past them. I have also had to come to grips with admitting that I get tired. And despite my desire to always be doing, there are days when I just can't. And acknowledging and allowing myself to have these rest days is also hard, but necessary for healing and growth.
All of these ideas also apply spiritually. Now, let me say that even typing that word near my name is strange as I have resisted any idea that I could be or ever would be a "spiritual" person. But that was when I saw spirituality as a traditional God and church type of relationship. I now see spirituality for the much larger and undefined picture that it is. I also realize just how important that part of my life has become and how badly I have needed to feed my soul. So now I do feed it - I feed it through the self care practices of yoga, meditation and journalling, reading, listening to inspiring podcasts and always looking for other ways to open myself up and learn. Listening to myself and giving what I need when I need it. Asking what and how when I feel a need to check in on my motivations behind an action, to be sure that the actions taken will be feeding me in some way as I continue along this journey.
All too often I used being busy to escape feelings that I didn't want to experience. Instead of numbing through alcohol, drugs or other vices, I chose the "healthy" option of always being active. And as a result of this practice, I suffered repetitive injuries and ongoing exhaustion. I also did manage to escape feeling sadness, loneliness and dealing with my long-term issues around self esteem and self image.
One of the hardest steps in this journey has been to slow down. To start to let those feelings in, to live with them and realize it is okay experience them. They aren't what defines you, they are just a moment in time and you need to feel them in order to move past them. I have also had to come to grips with admitting that I get tired. And despite my desire to always be doing, there are days when I just can't. And acknowledging and allowing myself to have these rest days is also hard, but necessary for healing and growth.
All of these ideas also apply spiritually. Now, let me say that even typing that word near my name is strange as I have resisted any idea that I could be or ever would be a "spiritual" person. But that was when I saw spirituality as a traditional God and church type of relationship. I now see spirituality for the much larger and undefined picture that it is. I also realize just how important that part of my life has become and how badly I have needed to feed my soul. So now I do feed it - I feed it through the self care practices of yoga, meditation and journalling, reading, listening to inspiring podcasts and always looking for other ways to open myself up and learn. Listening to myself and giving what I need when I need it. Asking what and how when I feel a need to check in on my motivations behind an action, to be sure that the actions taken will be feeding me in some way as I continue along this journey.
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