🌱 Happy May!
It’s funny how inspiration can show up in the most unexpected places.
Recently I was scrolling a health-related post in an online group, and a random comment caught my eye:
“I take meticulous care of my body.”
Say what, now?
The statement was so confident, and so unusual it stuck with me for days. I’d never heard anyone say anything like that.
Later I wondered: Had there ever been a time in my life when I could confidently say I took meticulous care of my body?
Perhaps I came close when I was pregnant, although I still worked at a stressful job, commuted daily, and traveled for business.
Aside from that time, caring for my one-and-only body was often just one more thing on a long list of priorities.
The next question I pondered was: What would it look like today if I took impeccable care of my body?
So I decided to take a few steps in that direction.
My first long-procrastinated task was finding a new primary care doctor. The process took five hours total (if you have U.S. health insurance you know why), but I persevered, and now it's done.
Next, I started prioritizing better sleep. That meant I was in my cozy bed by 9:30 to read and drift off, with no screens nearby. Pure bliss! (Here are 7 all natural ways to sleep better.)
Knowing I wanted to eat more leafy greens and fresh produce, I simply added one more fruit or veggie to my daily menu. (Here's a list of the 30 healthiest whole foods.)
I gave myself a pedicure. I sanded and planed and filed and buffed and polished and moisturized, until I had the feet of a geisha (or at the very least, a nicely-groomed hobbit.)
As I pampered my feet, I thought about how hard they've worked over the decades. That led me to research exercises to strengthen feet and ankles; I now do some of these moves from my bedside before starting the day.
My favorite task: I practiced dolce far niente - the Italian phrase that means "sweet doing nothing." I sipped coffee as the sun came up, and watched the finches at the bird feeder.
I'm learning that self care doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s just a small kindness or a quiet moment that makes us feel cared for.
While I'm not ready to make bold claims in an online forum, it feels really good to focus on taking care of myself.
How About You?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you feel you're caring for your body? Are you due for some maintenance?
If you decide to give yourself some TLC this month, will you hit "reply" and let me know about your experience? I'd love to read and share your stories.
Until then, I hope you find some moments that make you feel especially cared for this month.
Warmly,
P.S. My friend Kathleen gave me this heavy-duty wooden pedicure file. It works amazingly well for smoothing feet (and I think you can also use it to sand oil stains from your driveway!)
