Self-care has recently become a buzzword used to describe everything from taking a bubble bath to improving spending habits. There are messages everywhere encouraging “self-care” and the endless ways we could and should take care of ourselves. Self-care to the max
When I was first starting my recovery journey after experiencing bipolar symptoms, I tried to do as many self-care practices as I could in one day. I woke up at 5 a.m., started my yoga practice, then meditated for 30 minutes, then journaled for 30 minutes, then read a book for 30 minutes, then ran 3 miles, and then did 30 minutes of strength training exercises.
By the time I finished all of this, it was time for lunch. While I was proud of myself, I was also exhausted. I knew this wouldn’t be sustainable once I started working full-time again. I was desperate to not struggle with my bipolar symptoms, but I also needed a simpler way to “take care of myself.”
The only thing
Lately I have been reading the book “The only thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. In the book, the authors talk about how “extraordinary results are directly determined by how specific your approach is.” The question they encourage you to ask yourself is, “What is the one thing I can do that makes doing it easier or unnecessary for everything else?”
I realized this could be applied to all areas of my life, and suddenly self-care didn’t feel so overwhelming anymore. When I looked at my morning routine, I asked myself, “What is the ONE THING on this long list of things that has the most positive impact on my day?”
I realized that because I am neurodivergent and have bipolar disorder, cardiovascular activity was the most beneficial for my mental health as it allowed me to feel balanced and focused. I decided that running would be my ONE THING that would help me start my day. I quickly realized that this meant that I would need to do some yoga or stretching to keep from walking around like the Tin Man all day. So this supplemented my ONE THING, but all the other activities in my morning routine are now things I do when I have time and feel like they will help me.
I decided to use this method for other aspects of my life:
My ONE THING for my spiritual health: attending services at the Unitarian Universalist Church around the corner every Sunday at 10am
My ONE THING for my social health: Call a friend once a week while I’m out for a walk after work.
My ONE THING for my financial health: wait 24 hours before making a big purchase.
What is your ONE THING?
Our modern world draws our attention in many directions. It can be very comforting to focus on ONE THING.
When you think about your own self-care practices, is there one that you find most beneficial? Maybe it’s your reiki practice, walking your dog, your morning coffee, volunteering with your favorite organization, or getting your house in order.
These activities will be fun, manageable, and sustainable. Choose something you know you can do over and over again without burning out. Celebrate your accomplishments when you do these activities, no matter how small they may seem! Self-care happens in these small, intentional actions, and their benefits add up over time.
Everyone has a different THING, but figuring out which self-care practice can have the most impact in different areas of your life can help simplify the process and create more peace in your life.
