Happy Saturday everyone! It's that time of the week where we give ourselves a bit of time to stop and think bout what we need and what will help us move forward in recovery! Self care is so important, and a massive element of recovery.
For me this week, self-care has been recognising that I'm placing a lot of pressure on myself and taking a step back. Noticing when I'm feeling over whelmed, checking in with myself and grounding myself is really important. Sometimes we don't actually notice the pressure we're putting on ourselves and the impact it may be having. So remember, take that step back, collect yourself and take a deep breath.
How about everyone else?
@PnorkelPW @ScorpionPW @Judas @Bman @BNEB @Starlee @Alfie&Sha @Milkyway2020 @Azura @OceanSky @CRAZYGRANNY
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Share your self-care!
- PnorkelPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
I really love this @Lhiver ...........take a step back. Sometimes in certain situations I've learnt to actually physically take a step back and it helps me de-escalate and look at things from a different angle.
My self care at the moment is preparing myself for the fact that the next 8 weeks are going to be tough. I'm not going to be able to exercise. My diet is going to be tougher to maintain. My environment is going to be untidy - in fact, there's going to be s%@# everywhere. I'm going to have to spend time away from home. I'm going to have to spend time with family. My life routine is going to be severely out of whack. I am going to find it difficult.
In this next eight weeks I'm travelling for work, will be missing from work for large portions of the time meaning lots of catch-up, having time off for school holidays with my daughter, and beginning renovations on my house.
Self care is coming in the form of knowing that I won't be able to do all my normal things and being okay about that. To your point @Lhiver ..........I'm taking some pressure off myself giving myself permission to take a step back from my normal routine.
I will still be able to go for walks, I can still eat healthily but it will be different food, I can still meditate, I can still swim sometimes, I can still use my weights at home.............my self care will look different but it will be even more important during this time.
What are other people doing for self care. I need some tips and ideas so that I can incorporate them into my routine in this next stage.
My self care at the moment is preparing myself for the fact that the next 8 weeks are going to be tough. I'm not going to be able to exercise. My diet is going to be tougher to maintain. My environment is going to be untidy - in fact, there's going to be s%@# everywhere. I'm going to have to spend time away from home. I'm going to have to spend time with family. My life routine is going to be severely out of whack. I am going to find it difficult.
In this next eight weeks I'm travelling for work, will be missing from work for large portions of the time meaning lots of catch-up, having time off for school holidays with my daughter, and beginning renovations on my house.
Self care is coming in the form of knowing that I won't be able to do all my normal things and being okay about that. To your point @Lhiver ..........I'm taking some pressure off myself giving myself permission to take a step back from my normal routine.
I will still be able to go for walks, I can still eat healthily but it will be different food, I can still meditate, I can still swim sometimes, I can still use my weights at home.............my self care will look different but it will be even more important during this time.
What are other people doing for self care. I need some tips and ideas so that I can incorporate them into my routine in this next stage.
1 x
- PnorkelPW
- Peer Worker
Post
Re: Share your self-care!
I really love this @Lhiver ...........take a step back. Sometimes in certain situations I've learnt to actually physically take a step back and it helps me de-escalate and look at things from a different angle.
My self care at the moment is preparing myself for the fact that the next 8 weeks are going to be tough. I'm not going to be able to exercise. My diet is going to be tougher to maintain. My environment is going to be untidy - in fact, there's going to be s%@# everywhere. I'm going to have to spend time away from home. I'm going to have to spend time with family. My life routine is going to be severely out of whack. I am going to find it difficult.
In this next eight weeks I'm travelling for work, will be missing from work for large portions of the time meaning lots of catch-up, having time off for school holidays with my daughter, doing a 45 minute presentation at a forum which I'm feeling a lot of fear over, and beginning renovations on my house.
Self care is coming in the form of knowing that I won't be able to do all my normal things and being okay about that. To your point @Lhiver ..........I'm taking some pressure off myself giving myself permission to take a step back from my normal routine.
I will still be able to go for walks, I can still eat healthily but it will be different food, I can still meditate, I can still swim sometimes, I can still use my weights at home.............my self care will look different but it will be even more important during this time.
What are other people doing for self care. I need some tips and ideas so that I can incorporate them into my routine in this next stage.
My self care at the moment is preparing myself for the fact that the next 8 weeks are going to be tough. I'm not going to be able to exercise. My diet is going to be tougher to maintain. My environment is going to be untidy - in fact, there's going to be s%@# everywhere. I'm going to have to spend time away from home. I'm going to have to spend time with family. My life routine is going to be severely out of whack. I am going to find it difficult.
In this next eight weeks I'm travelling for work, will be missing from work for large portions of the time meaning lots of catch-up, having time off for school holidays with my daughter, doing a 45 minute presentation at a forum which I'm feeling a lot of fear over, and beginning renovations on my house.
Self care is coming in the form of knowing that I won't be able to do all my normal things and being okay about that. To your point @Lhiver ..........I'm taking some pressure off myself giving myself permission to take a step back from my normal routine.
I will still be able to go for walks, I can still eat healthily but it will be different food, I can still meditate, I can still swim sometimes, I can still use my weights at home.............my self care will look different but it will be even more important during this time.
What are other people doing for self care. I need some tips and ideas so that I can incorporate them into my routine in this next stage.
0 x
- ScorpionPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
Thanks so much for sharing @Lhiver and @PnorkelPW...
I can really relate to putting pressure on myself, needing to take a step back and just be kind to myself.
Self care for me this week has been recomitting to my exercise routine, already feeling the benefits of that in my mental health and energy levels, it's amazing how quickly it works!
It's often when somebody close to me expresses their concern and notice a change in me as a result of not looking after myself which helps me to stop, reflect and make a choice to reset. I'm just so grateful to have people close who love and care for me enough and know me well enough to do that for me.
I love hearing about how self care look for people, it's so so important and often the first thing to go when things get busy...
I can really relate to putting pressure on myself, needing to take a step back and just be kind to myself.
Self care for me this week has been recomitting to my exercise routine, already feeling the benefits of that in my mental health and energy levels, it's amazing how quickly it works!
It's often when somebody close to me expresses their concern and notice a change in me as a result of not looking after myself which helps me to stop, reflect and make a choice to reset. I'm just so grateful to have people close who love and care for me enough and know me well enough to do that for me.
I love hearing about how self care look for people, it's so so important and often the first thing to go when things get busy...
1 x
- PnorkelPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
I reckon there's something really interesting in what you said @ScorpionPW.............having friends who can point out to you that they don't think you're travelling very well.
I think when we learn to listen to that instead of getting defensive, that's when things change in a big way.
I think when we learn to listen to that instead of getting defensive, that's when things change in a big way.
1 x
- ScorpionPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
Absolutely @PnorkelPW, and it's those connections that are built up in recovery. We need to have people who we feel safe to let in to the point that we can build relationships where they know us well enough to be able to pull us up in a way that we're not likely to get defensive at. I think it's all about knowing how somebody responds to certain communication styles, tuning in and coming from a place of genuine care that can really help somebody not be defensive...picking your moment too!
1 x
- Judas
- Member
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Re: Share your self-care!
Going to the gym is one of the ways I show care for myself. It helps a lot with my mental health and lets me release some of the stresses from the day. I also get along great with a lot of the people at my gym and enjoy seeing different people there. It helps me to sleep a little bit better at night too.
I also make sure to take the time to watch my favourite TV shows during the week, even when I get busy. The shows I'm watching at the moment are Rupaul's Drag Race and House of the Dragon. I like to watch the same day it comes out as then I know I won't run into any accidental spoilers.
When I am feeling tense sometimes I like to practice a breathing exercise.
When I am sitting at my desk for a while or if my muscles are feelings tense from the gym, I like to have a bit of a stretch.
I make sure that I talk to my family everyday. Even if they are away on holidays, I still keep in contact over the phone.
No matter how busy we are at work I make sure to take all of my breaks. Sometimes when it's busy it can be tempting to skip my afternoon break but I always feel good after sitting down for a cup of tea for 10 minutes.
I eat lots of fresh fruit. Most days I eat at least 4 pieces of fruit. It is so yummy and healthy and gives me good natural energy.
These are some of the ways which I care for myself. Thanks, good question.
I also make sure to take the time to watch my favourite TV shows during the week, even when I get busy. The shows I'm watching at the moment are Rupaul's Drag Race and House of the Dragon. I like to watch the same day it comes out as then I know I won't run into any accidental spoilers.
When I am feeling tense sometimes I like to practice a breathing exercise.
When I am sitting at my desk for a while or if my muscles are feelings tense from the gym, I like to have a bit of a stretch.
I make sure that I talk to my family everyday. Even if they are away on holidays, I still keep in contact over the phone.
No matter how busy we are at work I make sure to take all of my breaks. Sometimes when it's busy it can be tempting to skip my afternoon break but I always feel good after sitting down for a cup of tea for 10 minutes.
I eat lots of fresh fruit. Most days I eat at least 4 pieces of fruit. It is so yummy and healthy and gives me good natural energy.
These are some of the ways which I care for myself. Thanks, good question.
2 x
- ScorpionPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
I love reading about your self care @Judas, I can relate a lot.
This week self care for me has been getting back on track with eating well and working towards being active and exercising again. Whenever I stop looking after my physical health it's not long before it starts to affect my anxiety and energy levels. But at the same time, once I start training again I start to feel very calm, balanced and energised very quickly. It's also important for me to not be hard on myself when it does go out of wack as it's very easy to get the whip out!
I really agree with taking breaks at work and trying not to eat lunch at my desk which can happen at times!
Over the weekend I'm going to focus on getting solid sleep, spending quality time with people I love, getting to a meeting and getting a massage.
I'd love to hear how self care is looking for everybody else this week
This week self care for me has been getting back on track with eating well and working towards being active and exercising again. Whenever I stop looking after my physical health it's not long before it starts to affect my anxiety and energy levels. But at the same time, once I start training again I start to feel very calm, balanced and energised very quickly. It's also important for me to not be hard on myself when it does go out of wack as it's very easy to get the whip out!
I really agree with taking breaks at work and trying not to eat lunch at my desk which can happen at times!
Over the weekend I'm going to focus on getting solid sleep, spending quality time with people I love, getting to a meeting and getting a massage.
I'd love to hear how self care is looking for everybody else this week
0 x
- Lhiver
- Community Builder
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Re: Share your self-care!
okay everyone this week I want to jump back into self-care! This has been a very big year for me, I've had some health issues, so I have actually committed to creating realistic self-care routines. It isn't always easy and some days things fall apart a bit but at the end of the day, it's better to have something that helps ground you.
My self-care at the moment is creating a routine. I've realised that without a basic routine I tend to get overwhelmed and drop the ball entirely. y routines are mainly around giving my day structure, so making sure I have meals prepped, time to read, and focus on other hobbies and connect with friends. It was really important to give myself time to work out what I felt was missing from my days, especially those days when I felt blah, and worked out ways to integrate those things into my day-to-day routine.
so how about everyone else? What are you doing to look after yourself at the moment?
@Judas @qboln @Starlee @PnorkelPW @ScorpionPW @Relentless love @Mii84 @Nic Vader @Marc M
My self-care at the moment is creating a routine. I've realised that without a basic routine I tend to get overwhelmed and drop the ball entirely. y routines are mainly around giving my day structure, so making sure I have meals prepped, time to read, and focus on other hobbies and connect with friends. It was really important to give myself time to work out what I felt was missing from my days, especially those days when I felt blah, and worked out ways to integrate those things into my day-to-day routine.
so how about everyone else? What are you doing to look after yourself at the moment?
@Judas @qboln @Starlee @PnorkelPW @ScorpionPW @Relentless love @Mii84 @Nic Vader @Marc M
2 x
- ScorpionPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
I love reading this @Lhiver, it's a really good reminder so thanks for the tag 
Self care for me at the moment is mainly around getting enough sleep and chunking things down. There's a lot happening with study ramping up over the next couple of weeks leading to the end of the year, delivering a lot of training and managing a lot of moving parts in my personal life.
It's really important for me to remember to take it a day at a time, not be hard on myself, just deal with one thing at a time and not think about it all at once as to get overwhelmed.
How is self care looking for everybody else?
Self care for me at the moment is mainly around getting enough sleep and chunking things down. There's a lot happening with study ramping up over the next couple of weeks leading to the end of the year, delivering a lot of training and managing a lot of moving parts in my personal life.
It's really important for me to remember to take it a day at a time, not be hard on myself, just deal with one thing at a time and not think about it all at once as to get overwhelmed.
How is self care looking for everybody else?
1 x
- PnorkelPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
@Lhiver thanks for the reminder about self care and the importance of routine. Mine has gone out the window over the last couple of months.........both the self care and the routine.
I've lost routine due to the renovations at my house and not having a bathroom for a while and then losing my kitchen. I haven't been able to meal prep, I've been eating crap, I haven't been getting up to swim in the mornings, my sleep patterns are even more out of whack than they were................I've really been struggling.
Taking it a day at a time was completely forgotten by me @ScorpionPW until about a week ago. It felt like multiple elements of my world were falling apart and I just had to stop, take a step back, and assess. It was time to eat that elephant one bite at a time. I've been able to get some perspective by doing so.
So in that sense I suppose I did implement some self care but it's time to start to try and re-establish my routine. Get back to basics. Things fall apart for me because I set my goals to big and try to do too much. I end up giving up because it's not working when what i need to do is set simpler more achievable goals.
Morning swims four day per week, bed by 11pm, meal prep and healthy eating. Let's see how I go with that. If I can nail that, then I'll look at building on them.
I've lost routine due to the renovations at my house and not having a bathroom for a while and then losing my kitchen. I haven't been able to meal prep, I've been eating crap, I haven't been getting up to swim in the mornings, my sleep patterns are even more out of whack than they were................I've really been struggling.
Taking it a day at a time was completely forgotten by me @ScorpionPW until about a week ago. It felt like multiple elements of my world were falling apart and I just had to stop, take a step back, and assess. It was time to eat that elephant one bite at a time. I've been able to get some perspective by doing so.
So in that sense I suppose I did implement some self care but it's time to start to try and re-establish my routine. Get back to basics. Things fall apart for me because I set my goals to big and try to do too much. I end up giving up because it's not working when what i need to do is set simpler more achievable goals.
Morning swims four day per week, bed by 11pm, meal prep and healthy eating. Let's see how I go with that. If I can nail that, then I'll look at building on them.
2 x
- PnorkelPW
- Peer Worker
Post
Re: Share your self-care!
Self care for me at the moment is admitting that I’m affected by Covid. I always try and push through when I’m sick but this has finally got me after almost three years and it’s really affecting me. I have to admit that so that I get over it. I just came home from work and had a sleep for an hour so I can get through tonight. I’ve been allowing myself to have afternoon naps during the week and acknowledged that it’s okay if I don’t get everything done.
I’ve also been getting to a few AA meetings over previous weeks. I had to admit that I needed some extra support and to pay a bit of extra attention to my recovery. The best place for me to do that is at AA meetings and I gotta admit that it’s been great reminding myself that my tribe is out there. I feel at home at meetings where there are people just like me. It’s somewhere that even when I hear differences I hear similarities.
I’ve also been getting to a few AA meetings over previous weeks. I had to admit that I needed some extra support and to pay a bit of extra attention to my recovery. The best place for me to do that is at AA meetings and I gotta admit that it’s been great reminding myself that my tribe is out there. I feel at home at meetings where there are people just like me. It’s somewhere that even when I hear differences I hear similarities.
1 x
- ScorpionPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
It's great to hear you've been plugging into some meetings @PnorkelPW...It's a good reminder for me!
Self care this week looks like having a really goodnight sleep after a couple of nights of 3-4 hours due to anxiety and stress around some things happening with my son. Also, going to catch up with some friends for dinner and doing a NA meeting tomorrow night as well as a massage to get some tension out and some quality time with my partner.
Self care this week looks like having a really goodnight sleep after a couple of nights of 3-4 hours due to anxiety and stress around some things happening with my son. Also, going to catch up with some friends for dinner and doing a NA meeting tomorrow night as well as a massage to get some tension out and some quality time with my partner.
1 x
- PnorkelPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
@Judas I'm making an effort this year to try and take my breaks. I can't tell you how many lunches I've had at my desk over the years and not stopped working. It's truly amazing what a difference it makes to my headspace to just get outside and sit at one of the picnic tables for a while and eat.. I've even been trying to take a few minutes to shoot some hoops in the afternoon. I've always had this attitude that i'm at work and I need to work, work, work..............but I do need breaks too.
Thanks for the reminder
Thanks for the reminder
2 x
- ScorpionPW
- Peer Worker
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Re: Share your self-care!
This is a great reminder for me too and I relate alot @PnorkelPW, sometimes it's way too easy to get into bad habits at work. I keep trying to mitigate burn out how ever I can and I make a point to take breaks now, go for a walk, get away from the screen for a bit. I actually find I'm more productive and enjoy work a lot more when I make an effort to look after myself in this way at work.
This week self care for me has been all about getting back to the gym and eating well. I've been going to the gym before work, going to bed earlier, eating really healthy and as a result I have so much more energy and feel like I'm living how I want to be.
It always feels good to reset after going too far with eating over the holidays and getting back to where I want to be at.
It would be great to hear how other people's self care is looking
This week self care for me has been all about getting back to the gym and eating well. I've been going to the gym before work, going to bed earlier, eating really healthy and as a result I have so much more energy and feel like I'm living how I want to be.
It always feels good to reset after going too far with eating over the holidays and getting back to where I want to be at.
It would be great to hear how other people's self care is looking
1 x