Two minutes

I’ve been hearing (and yes, experiencing) how easy it is to think there is NO time to do anything that brings us back to our center.   There’s that horrible, heavy guilty feeling when we women dare to take ourselves seriously, when we’re ready to put forth our visions and acknowledge what it is we truly want.  It seems that rather than celebrating this connection we have to our wise woman self, we often find ourselves turning our attention back toward what we might be neglecting or leaving behind…  our children, our families, our careers, our to-do lists.

It goes to show how  “tamed” our lives have made us.  Women’s roles in our society have been so rigidly defined for us, that there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of wiggle room in regards to where we put our time.  The idea of self-care turns into a thing of luxury, considered by many to be selfish, unimportant, and somewhat irresponsible in the grand scheme of things.

Yeah, we are all busy people…  some of us are moms, some of us have fulltime jobs, some of us are simply trying to make ends meet.   There is no denying these things-  life will always provide us with plenty to deal with in any given moment.  The thing I think we tend to forget though, is that our lives are not separate entities from our wildness.  We don’t have to drop one to embrace the other.  They are connected at the hip.

You are enough right now, even in all your busy-ness.

I’ve been writing a lot lately about this idea of choosing you…  but the raw, human, and real truth is that sometimes choosing you means going to work so you can pay the bills and not feel stressed out about money, or playing with your kids on a rainy Sunday afternoon because it simply warms your heart, or making an appointment with a healing person when you can’t shake that terrible cough so that you can not only show up more fully for your list of to-dos, but also show up more fully for YOU.

Of course I support and highly encourage the grander gestures of self-care… massages, bubble baths, long naps, retreats, vacations, etc…  but let’s face it, when we’re caught in the trenches of life, it’s too easy to put ourselves last…. which is why I loved, just LOVED, a recent discussion on Jennifer Louden’s Savor and Serve Cafe about the brief moments or spurts of self-connection (two minutes or less) that we can offer ourselves in those times of overwhelm, throughout the very busiest of days.  I couldn’t wait to share my own thoughts on this with you all, along with some of the amazing ideas that others came up with…  with hopes that you might add to this list, and all together, perhaps we can begin a two minute self-care revolution of sorts!

Are you giving yourself the pleasure of your own divine company?

~Look out the window and spy something beautiful.

~Think of three things that you’re grateful for.

~Do a happy dance.

~Drink a glass of fresh water.

~Write one sentence about the truth of what’s going on inside.

~Doodle on the back of your phone book.

~Try lion’s pose:  stick out your tongue as far as you can, open your eyes as wide as you can, and let out a great big ROAR.

~Stare at a spot on the wall.

~Turn off the computer.

~Turn off your television.

~Think of one thing you’d like to do before you die.

~Hug a tree.

~Close your eyes and breathe deeply into your belly,

~Daydream.

~Tell your family you’re having a two minute time out, and close the door behind you.

~Splash cold (or warm) water on your face.

~Call a friend.

~Write one word that inspires you on a post-it note and stick it to your bathroom mirror.

~Write a love note.

~Stand outside and let the sunshine bathe you.

~Fling open the front door of your home and declare outloud, “I’m ready!”

~Lie on the floor with your legs up a wall…  (okay, I confess, you’ll want to stay here longer than 2 minutes, but I couldn’t help but mention this really simple yoga pose that not only stimulates your immune system and keeps you healthy (something we could ALL use right now!), but also is really powerful in instilling a calm mind-  oh, and it’s great for insomnia too!).

Categories: adventure, choice, family, gratitude, imperfection, inside out, intention, Living Mindfully   |   Tags: action, intention, Jennifer Loudon, Lisa Rough  |  4 Comments »

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