Last week there were no blog posts and there were no explanations. I hadn’t planned to take a break, but life has a way of getting in the way of your best-laid plans and forcing your hand. Things were really stressful and weird, so I took a week off from (most of) my good habits. I didn’t write, I didn’t eat a lot of green things, I didn’t spend time in nature. When I got home on Saturday afternoon, I felt like a wilted plant that desperately needed light and air and water, but I didn’t have the energy to give myself those things yet. I didn’t have the willpower or motivation to start back with my healthy self-care right away.
Instead, I puttered. I put things away and tidied up and had lots of wine and watched TV and fell down a rabbit hole of YouTube home decor videos. I made nachos, for heaven’s sake! (They were great.) I got some very-needed alone time to reset myself, and then spent all of yesterday continuing that trend.
But today, I’m easing my way back. I’m reminding myself: YOU CAN START AGAIN. I’m reminding myself: it’s okay if it’s slowwwwww. I’m reminding myself: you are okay, and it’s okay if you aren’t perfect.
So I made myself a smoothie. I looked at my bank accounts and paid some bills. I stayed inside this morning, even though it’s a beautiful day. I looked at my Asana task board with one eye shut and got a sense of everything I need to catch up on. This afternoon, I am going to do my monthly reflect and goal set and maybe meditate for the first time in a week (!) and go to the park to be alone in the sunshine. I am going to get back to checking off my daily habits in whatever way feels good and approachable and fun.
Tomorrow is another day, and after that, another one. Every day is a new opportunity to learn how to take care of myself, to listen to myself, to stand up for myself, to love myself. There are as many ways to do so as there are stars in the sky.
