Daily writing prompt

How do you practice self-care?

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In an effort to appreciate the small wins and be grateful for what I have, for today, I’ll say that self-care was crawling back into bed this morning with my three year old. Honestly my brain’s a bit fuzzy….or something, and I’m just feeling off. Chalk it up to hormones. It’s that week or so of time where doom is surely impending and it takes real effort to look on the bright side of life. And then I feel bad for even saying or thinking that when I truly do have so much to be thankful for.

Back to the self-care though, I do plan on doing yoga outside again this morning as it’s a glorious sunny day, wow look at me being so positive. My SI joint has been acting up the last couple of days, nobody’s fault but my own. If you don’t make time for your health, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness. I know this yet these last couple of weeks having to start my day so early for work and having extra busy days, I neglected any sort of exercise. And so my sacroiliac joint on the right side has stiffened right up. It’s a thing that just happens to me, once a year or so, since I was eighteen. If I could just stay in child’s pose or forward fold all damn day I’d be perfectly fine lol.

Just as I was sitting here planning out some self-care for the day, I heard “Mommmma!!!!”. It was Sid, he had woken up. I really didn’t want him waking up so early as he was up late last night so I went into the room and crawled back into bed with him. We snuggled up and he eventually fell back to sleep. This was when the self-care began.

I realized that laying there with his warm little body against mine under the cozy covers was all the bliss I needed. The sunlight was pouring in, the sun already high in the sky as we are one day post summer solstice and so the sun rises before five am. The air felt delightfully cool though and our ceiling fan plus a large fan on the floor were blowing the fresh morning air around. That moment was perfect.

I proceeded to try and take part in a sort of meditation laying there beside Sid. Some deep breaths in, then holding, then out, while repeating self-affirmations in my head about what I need to bring into my mind and body today and what I need to let go of.

It didn’t completely quell the……the…..unsettling? feeling inside of me but it did feel great in that moment. I have sort of a busy day planned as it’s hot, sunny and summer so hopefully being busy will keep me sane today. Tomorrow they are forecasting rain all day so I can get the indoor chores done then. Today we will make hay while the sun shines.