Tuulia’s List of Self-Care Practices

Last week I wrote about self care. I think it important for all of us and especially important for people who listen, support or help for living. Watch the video about self-care for helpers here.

Now I am asking for your help! Below you see my list for my self-care. What is missing? How would you advise me?  

And are you willing to tell me: How do you take care of yourself? Have you made conscious choices lately to have a focus on your wellbeing? 

I want to share a list I made and frequently check and update. This list is for me to ensure that I have a good balance for work time where I am available for others and free time when I am only available for others when that feels good to me.

These are my four ”golden rules”!

I take care of myself

• I book time in my calendar to take care of myself and to do fun things.
• I frequently go to a massage.
• I eat healthy good food.
• I spend time outdoors daily.
• I sleep 8 hours a night.
• I participate in group and individual work supervision.
• I am aware that I can’t control everything and I am willing to live with the unknown and uncertainty.

I do work tasks that I enjoy

• I minimize unpleasant tasks: drop them if possible or postpone to a time when I feel better about doing them, or outsource them.
• We have outsourced technical work on website and webshop, sending newsletters and uploading videos.
• I record videos and write newsletters as I enjoy writing most of the time.
• I am ongoingly checking what I like doing and what things we want to keep and what to drop, rather than thinking we need to do everything we once enjoyed or came up with.
• I innovate new workshop concepts and exercises; I get energy out of that and that is my strength.

I have a fulfilling life also out of work (even my work is super important)

• I have separate work and free time, and when I want I can change plans and be flexible.
• I have a separate private email and I don’t use it for work.
• I am not a therapist to my friends or family, and if it feels good to me I can be available to support. 
• I do something fun every day.
• I move my body 30 minutes every day.
• I spend time in nature.
• I dance and meditate frequently.

My calendar is an important tool

• I book first the important topics: important stuff includes time with Pete and my son, holidays, travels, time in the cabin, alone time and workshop I participate in.
• I book time for planning, listening to myself and coming up with new ideas. 
• I try to do both urgent / time sensitive and important-non urgent things.
• I try to be realistic: all tasks tend to take longer than I think.
• I do work in blocks and try not to jump from one task to another before finishing one.
• For emails I use the five minutes rule: if answering takes less than five minutes I will answer immediately and move the email to it’s right folder from the inbox. 

I finish working latest 9:30 pm (this is tricky one for me I tend to work in the evenings!). On average I work maximum 40 hours per week, ideally 35 hours. I book a day off after each workshop or retreat and sleep in the next morning.

What is arising in you reading these?
What are you doing well in terms of self-care?

Love,
Tuulia

P.S. Will you join us for an upcoming honesty workshop?