It seems so obvious to say that self care is at the root of self actualisation, meaning that’s where we lay the groundwork to get creativity out of the ether and in to action. But if anyone anywhere has lived any version of a life so far, you’ll know that common sense doesn’t feel all that common or even slightly sensical, when you’re in the throes of “doing”:
"I can't stop - I need to get this done NOW!" 🫥
The art of art, as many of us know, is first in the “being”. So whilst a just keep swimming approach sounds good on paper, moving forward doesn’t always mean constant momentum is needed. Much like Dory in that fish film can attest, sometimes it’s a massive pain in the arse to keep chugging on without any real sense of orientation - and unlike Dory, we don’t have the marine scenery to sustain an unnecessary detour.
If you know you’re an ideas person, if you know you’re passionate about life, work, growth, change, progression, projects - anything! - you need to also know that the rest you build in, builds space for ideas to truly sit and settle; so you can sit with them, and bring your vision to life.
The National Institute for Mental Health love a little 8 point reminder (probably) to get us in personal check list mode for self care, and honestly, we're about that too. So here's our own little blow by blow of basic "just do this please" for sustainable well being:
Exercise. Doesn't matter what, just move your sack of humanity back & forth for a bit.
Eat regularly, even one decent meal a day for a week is regularity - start with that.
Make sleep a priority (this one is not up for debate, go to bed on time).
Try a genuinely relaxing activity - any one of these will do.
Set goals and stick to priorities - Goals are what you're aiming for, prioritising will get you there.
Hygiene - brush your teeth, wash your face, bathe, moisturise, get dressed.
Mentally balance the bullsh*t. If you're gonna find the bad - also spot the good, negative tunnel vision is not self-awareness or wisdom, it's a bias.
Stay connected; message your friends back and send that email already, doom scrolling isn't social connection - it's the void of it.
Time and time again the research tells us to go back to basics when it comes to mental health restoration, burn out and stress management, and time and time again we all drop the ball on it. So let this be your reminder to spend a bit of time doing these more consistently - not to slow you down or stop your process, but to speed you up and support your entire system (brain, body, mind) to actually flourish, develop resilience and give more space for your creative brain to flourish.
@theselfhelped
tsh.
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