the challenge in the challenge

As I learn more about how to take care of myself while dealing with responsibilities, mental health issues and deadlines as an adult, I begin to feel the desire again to take on a challenge that requires persistence, determination and a due date. Basically anything where I normally slip into my trap of hard work only to be burned out and disheartened by a friend, family member, or therapist. How can I rise to a challenge without falling into my trap of excessively hard work?

When I started journaling about it, I came up with 3 things it should definitely contain: playfulness, movement and an emotional outlet.

Playing is important because it takes the pressure off it. Play is voluntary, you don't need words, the initiative stays with me and does not fulfill an external goal, it creates a positive mood and is safe.

I need the movement because I notice that moving makes me get out of head into my body. Without movement no play and no emotional outlet. Dynamic movement don't have to happen only in the body. It can also happen in the head or in the heart.

Because of drawing and writing there is a way to start feeling the emotions I need to feel. It gives me the permission to let emotions be what they are when they arise. In addition, I need support to make such a challenge exist.

My apprenticeship as a spiritual being will grow if I tap on the following things every day:

To write

To draw

Sit in silence

Yoga

Enough sleep

Read

Drink enough water

Creating an hour for myself and using the first hour in the morning for that, attracts me enormously as a morning person. But that requires discipline. And even then I will not always be able to tap everything. The challenge is therefore to be okay if that is the case. Being gentle with myself when I fail to do yoga. And don't immediately think, "Oh, but I still must do yoga." No I don't... I don' t want to do stressful yoga, that's not what yoga is all about.

And when it' s game night with friends or lying next to my guy on the couch, don't think: 'Oh, I have to go to bed, because tomorrow morning I have to get out early to start with ...'

So the challenge is not to hang my self-worth on this to-do list. I am also of value, am also good enough when I have not done everything. It does not have to be every day to live fully. In this, the to-do and the not-to-do stand side by side. And that, in my opinion, is the most important self-care lesson I'm learning right now.

What self-care lesson are you learning or have you learned?