Are you avoiding self-care?

Yesterday I focused on 10 minutes of mindfulness between each conference call. Each week I have a day where I have forty to forty five minutes of calls on the hour each hour for six hours. The goal was to use those 15 minutes between calls differently, productively, in ways that would define as self-care. (you know, get it off my list, take care of my needs kind of stuff)  Just ten minutes.  Do you know that in ONE morning, that combined 40 minutes that came ten minutes at a time  produced more ease and excitement than I’ve had in a long time?  The bonus?  The self-care of getting my physical spaces in my home less cluttered happened and it didn’t take much time or hardly any effort on a work day from home.  My friend Angela Belford will gladly share how a member of my family avoided moving a couch to an upstairs room for 18 months, and then when we moved it, it took less than 10 minutes but provided tremendous self-care in that everything then “worked” in that part of the house.  Do you avoid self-care? Do things that would provide you benefits of ease and comfort often get put to the back of the list of things to do? In my world it isn’t about money or even time, it’s about mindset.  I somehow have this auto-response to self care that involves you first, me rarely.

If you can identify self care item (you’d be surprised how many cannot) what are the components that keep it easy to avoid?  For me the go to line is always something like “It’ll take more time than I have, so I won’t start because I cannot finish”,  “Oh isn’t that unnecessary” or “I’ll just put it off for a few more days while I get xyz done.”  However this year of allowing is already taking shape.  Yesterday I knew that decluttering shelves would take a good while, but I gave myself the 10 minutes between conference calls to get up, go through a shelf for donation with box in hand, and then five minutes after that timer went off to celebrate and bask in the glory of whatever got accomplished.  You see, the celebrating part is something I don’t do either. My roots say “It’s your job to do why a need to celebrate the work” but my heart says “girl, turn on the dance music, toast yourself with fresh coffee, for you GOT THE DEED DONE” and personally I prefer the heart version.

The battle began a few days early. I requested Les go to the uhaul place and spend the $20 to get fresh boxes in a manageable size (small) so that as I identified giveaway, throw away, and send to child piles, I would have an immediate place to go.  I’ve done the free ones, I’ve saved boxes that don’t match, but I’ve found that $20 motivates me to use them, to stack them safely, and to get.the.jobs.done.

The first ten minutes was about the six shelves in my office. At the end of the 10 minutes, 2 had been decluttered and 2 boxes had been filled.  The second 10 I opened my office drawer and took 10  minutes to remove any sticky, post it, or item that wasn’t my style or my need. It turns out I had an abundance of things I would not use, but were perfectly useable and cute, so off to the volunteer offices that ziplock goes. They were THRILLED to have cute stuff to use as clips, post its, etc.  I am thrilled to have a drawer that is easy to handle, has the tools I need front and center, and fun to look at. (dividers were $3 at Dollar General)

The third ten involved my master bath.  I have a teeny tiny closet that holds the makeup, soaps, and extras.  I decided that under my sink would a better way to organize hotel soaps, travel needs, and my makeup. I took the already owned three drawer organizers, labeled them with my handy dandy labeler for such titles as “travel shampoos”  “backup foundations and lipsticks” and manicure and pedicure tools. and then, did the thing I so needed to do. I divided my makeup into “at home daily look” cosmetic bag  “evening looks and colors” bag and one that will permanently stay in my suitcase (for I travel at least once a month) of “Road Trip Makeup”  Do you know how many times I have arrived in NYC for important meeting and forgot to grab my mascara?  Lipstick or toothbrush for they didn’t make the grab for the bag at the last  minute?

Let me tell you, the celebrating each hour made the day brighter.  I had conference calls  on the hour through two pm yesterday for clients but those 10 minutes at the close of each call brought peace, ease, and exuberance to my day knowing that I accomplished things that would improve my days!  Try it, you’ll find that just ten minutes can make such a difference! (and if you’re like me, by setting the time goal low, you realize just how much you CAN do in a short period of time.  I always gave organizing and cleaning a time requirement of a gazillion hours per chore, and when I set the timers, I am often so surprised just what can happen in 5 or 10 minutes!

Avoiding doing the things that make your life easier? happier? simpler?  How about a ten minute test to see what you can do?