Are you feeling stuck?

Have you gotten too comfortable in your mundane routine? Identifying too much as one aspect of who you are. Only a mom? Only a wife? Only an employee at a job that has you feeling completely drained?

You are more than just your responsibilities. You are still a whole person- there are just parts of you buried underneath life's obstacles, responsibilities, and exhaustion.

Self care is not as simple as getting a massage or taking a day off work. While we all wish that a day off was enough to refuel our empty tanks, we are often disappointed when we return to work the next day and still wish we did not have to be there.

So a massage isn't self care? Neither is a day off? What about exercise? All of these can be examples of self care, but single use of these tools tend to only provide short term relief. This raises the question, are there self care tools that provide more long term relief? The simple answer is yes, but the complicated piece is that the solution is different for everyone and it is usually a combination of healthy habits and refueling activities.

How do we find out what is right for us? Well, we ask ourselves what are my goals and what are the things I look forward too or miss.

Goals, where am I going in life? Direction helps us feel like we have purpose, and having purpose gives us a reason to do things. I am a mom today, I will still be a mom tomorrow but over the next year I want to get my kids more interactive with the world or I want to model for my kids the importance of making time for the things they love or I want to go back to working and providing for my family.

Another example, I am an employee today, I will be working in the same job tomorrow but over the next 6 months I want to plan out different ways I can see more of the world on a budget or I want to focus on learning to bake cakes in my free time. Wait, there is an obstacle there, "free time." Most of us do not seem to have very much free time. So we have find ways to structure our days to make time for the things that are fulling in some way or another to us.

For many people, self care is actually rooted in routine, structure, and planning; even when the act we are choosing for self care is adventurous. Like riding in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon allowing yourself to leave the chaos of everyday living to soar through the sky.

or Ziplining over waterfalls and through the forests of costa Rica.

Self care starts with figuring out where you want to be- 10lbs lighter or on vacation or feeling more energized at work? And then overcoming the obstacles to get there- a gym routine that works for you or a budget and tips and tricks for planning or a healthy diet and a better sleep schedule.

Lets start that journey!