OOM: daily self-care reminders

Good morning everyone!

This week I am excited to share with you a sort of “guest post” from lactation consultant Aviva Faust! She shares some great ideas for how we can use little everyday actions as reminders to do something good for our bodies and minds. This is an idea I first learned about in medical school, when it was suggested that every time I knock on the door or walk through a doorway to see a new patient, I use that action as a reminder to enter with a fresh mindset, fully present to the patient in front of me. I also really like the idea of washing my hands allowing me to wash off the energy of a difficult patient encounter (if it’s been really rough, a good full-body shake is helpful too J). Aviva’s got an amazing list of suggestions below:

“For the coming week set an intention to add a new self-care action that is linked to a common activity in life. You can use an idea from this email, a past oxygen mask suggestion, or just think of a creative idea that will work for you.

Some things I have been doing follow:

Take a deep relaxing belly breath when logging in on the computer, getting out of the car, standing at the sink and/or getting into bed at night.

Stretch your back (or any other body part that needs it) when getting up from sitting.

Get mobility in your shoulders when getting out of the bath or shower. (I often use the shower rod to assist with the stretch without putting any damaging weight on the rod.)

When I shake the milk container before adding it to my morning coffee I often do quick alternate foot stepping as if I am a football player in training. My husband finds this one amusing. To me it feels like I am increasing blood circulation and starting my day.

My old driving routine was that I did kegels (pelvic floor exercises) at traffic lights. Now that I am in the car less I have other linked stoplight activities. When I like a song on the radio I often dance along from the waist up. This not only brings my spirits up but has, at times, seemed to elevate the mood of the drivers in adjoining cars. Mostly people in other cars do not notice. I see their flat expressions and become aware that self-care is working to enhance my capacity to have joyful moments. When I do not feel like dancing I often take a deep belly breath. This works as a reset to encourage me to become more present or relaxed.

The next one I am sharing with the caution that passwords need to have enough complexity to stay safe. Putting a few letters into a password can remind me to feel something, do something or remember something. I have never used the following ideas but you will get the picture; SkyBr!177 = remember the sky and breath, MNeckR231! = move neck and relax, or LLbbNX1!1 = love little baby boy Nixon. Yes I know Nixon isn’t so little any more but it made me smile just to have that thought.

Good luck with finding something you would like to add as a habit and remember that repetition and enjoyment can help move an action into a habit.”

Thanks so much, Aviva! If anybody has an idea that you want to share through OOM, let me know. I’d love to add more voices and variety to these weekly e-mails.

Lisa