“Little by little, a little becomes a lot.”
~Tanzanian Proverb
Welcome to 2021! We have all anxiously been awaiting this moment since last March. We have been through a lot as a country, as a community, and as individuals. Many of us were looking at 2020 as a glorious start to a new decade, a reset and here we are hoping 2021 is what we have been waiting for. Let me introduce you to a different idea, we are the ones we have been waiting for. Meaning the change we are looking for comes from within.
With that in mind, the basics (roots) are the groundwork for any meaningful change we are looking to accomplish.
Daily Due Diligence – Our Self-Care (These recommendations may not be right for everyone, use your discernment and doctor’s recommendations)
~Have a written out daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, yearly schedule- this is your guide and makes the process of selfcare doable, when it is routine it becomes simple (possibly easy!).
~At least 30 min of movement daily- find something you enjoy and do it.
~At least 10 min of stretching daily- doesn’t have to be yoga style, though that’s my preference.
~At least 10 min of meditation, breathwork, prayer, etc- find your soul-nourishing break.
~Hydrate- drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day and use Celtic salt for electrolytes.
~Eat a varied Mediterranean style diet that is vegetable-based – as Micheal Pollan says “eat food, not too much, mostly veggies.”
~Connect with someone daily- call, Zoom, physically distanced in-person visit, write a letter, etc.
~Nurture your hobbies- make time for the things you love.
~Find a healthcare support team that guides you in individualized self-care!
Once these basics are in place, then it is time for our New Year’s resolutions! I have a different take on the idea of New Year’s resolutions called Sankalpa that comes from ancient Ayurvedic medicine. I wrote a whole article on this idea that was in last January’s edition of the LocalsGuide (and it is on my website) that goes into more detail on this process and is an incredibly useful guide if you are interested. The gist is that we develop a positive statement or mantra that is worded as though we have already accomplished it and we are so grateful that it has come to pass. This is something that we are dedicated to achieving in the next 6-18 months and is SMART in nature (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). This is repeated mentally throughout the day, or, to enhance the Sankalpa, with a Yoga Nidra practice.
To a year of self-care and self-directed, positive change!
