Self Care Overwhelm - How do I even get started

I don't know about you but every time I go social media or start googling stress all these tips pop up. "Do this and you'll never be stressed again" or "stretch every day for hours and you'll be pain free" maybe you've seen this one, "Exercise is the only healthy thing you need" and on and on. It's like if you aren't doing any or all of the major "Wellness" Topics you suck and you'll never be healthy. So insert overwhelm and maybe even a little shame and I log out.

I wonder just how do I find the time to do all the things I need to do? Cook healthy meals, stretch, meditate, exercise, get a massage, a facial, spend time with my kids, be present in all things, date night with my hubby, get to soccer practice, work on my business and go on a silent retreat. 😩

I call BS we just can't and I don't think we should do all those things. Yes be present with our families and jobs but it's ok if you're enjoying a scroll through your feed. Maybe making a few tweaks to your routine can really give you some health and wellness benefits without spending 8 hours a day on self care. I am the preacher of self care, I believe in my core it is so very important but it can look different to each and every one of us. 

To me self care can be sitting in the car listening to my favorite music at soccer practice drop off while singing my heart out. Or listening to one of my guided meditations and doing some deep breathing cleansing breath work for 5 minutes each day, going for a jog or a walk. Yours could be journaling or doing some gentle yoga poses. My point is it just doesn't look the same for everyone and you shouldn't feel guilty or shameful for not doing it "correctly" cause correctly is BS. 

You my friend have a life and none of us can truly understand what that life feels like in someone else's day to day. But I do know we all have 5 minutes some where in our day where we can walk in place, do some breath work, do a few stretches, read a book, pray or meditate and those 5 minutes can be non-negotiable.

I am not going to tell you to pick up some crazy hour long plan to magical self care that will cure your stress or overwhelm but I will say you can sit for 5 minutes and breathe in and out. You can write down 4 things you are grateful for right now in this moment. You can walk in place, or go out for a walk, you can turn on the yoga video and do a few minutes, stop and smell the flowers. Everyone has 5 minutes. You deserve 5 minutes. It can truly shift your entire day. 

Often times self care is just good boundaries with ourselves and others. You gotta say no to things that really won't work for you anymore and you gotta push yourself to do things that will be better for you going forward even if you don't want to. It's time, your time and you are ready for this! Your life can change in as little as 5 minutes a day!

So pick one thing, yes only one for today, set that timer and do it. Say yes to 5 minutes! What are you doing with your 5 minutes today?