What I forget to do for myself…
- To take a shower… a long one, without interruptions, to think as well as to soap my hair.
- To read the whole article in a magazine instead of quickly flipping from the beginning to the end hoping to grasp enough of it to get the gist.
- To drink my tea while it’s hot (how many mugs of cold tea do I leave around the house while I’m cleaning, homeschooling, folding laundry…?).
- To take a walk when the sun is out (instead of letting the habit of grey skies keep me in).
- To pay attention when my husband gets home from teaching and comes up behind me to give me a hug and kiss on the neck while I’m washing dishes.
- To put on make-up even when I’m running errands because it makes me feel like I’m present to the world, not an invisible schlub.
- To actually twist into a few yoga stretches each day in between the weekly class.
- To start the morning without email.
- To appreciate my warm, colorful house; the stocked refrigerator; happy, cuddly children; a supportive, affectionate husband; and a reliable cable modem because today I have all those things and they each make my life happier and easier and more fulfilling.
What do you forget to do for yourself?
And for the record, while I typed this post, I drank HOT tea! Yay me. 🙂
I can relate. I have been known to make a small pot of coffee and leave it on the counter unpoured until it is cold. I wonder how many times you boil the kettle and don’t make the tea before you get to the point of leaving the tea somewhere to get cold 🙂
Shave my legs
Paint my toenails
Good thing we wear boots and pants int he winter!
Call and make the appointment to be adjusted by a chiropractor
I finally did that today; after 5 pregnancies and carrying kids for 15 years, my hip hurt so much I delayed a trip to the zoo with my kids. But now, I am so excited that I’m on my way to feeling better and looking forward to keeping up with my little ones!
I’m glad I finally took care of myself.
Boiling water in the kettle, and forgetting to make tea
shaving my legs, conditioning my hear, soaking my feet
taking time out for me at a coffee shop
knitting, sewing, painting
…
…
There are quite a few and I go through periods where I’m really bad at doing any of them but then others I’m really good at it. I strive for consistancy and figure I will get there some day.
I am enjoying your blog and ideas. Using some where I can. Thank you for making them so accessible.
Ah, making tea and not getting to it while it is hot – I’m not the only one!
Pursue an interest in bread making
Update my wardrobe
Alone time
Exercise
Had to chuckle on the hot tea item…once when my mom was visiting she made tea for both of us and then said, “Shall I just put yours into the microwave?”
I forget to drink – period. Dh comes home and I’m feeling tired. His response is to go and get a large glass of water becasue he just knows I’ll be dehydrated. Also exercise. I mean to walk everyday and often it gets to 10pm and I discover that I’ve forgotten …again!
* Get my hair cut, much less curled – how does one get out to do such things between 9-5 M_F with four children ages 3-8?
* Ditto on shave! I’m not into the toenail painting, though.
* Get lost in a book that I’m not reading aloud, because I’ll stay up to late or neglect things that really need to be done
* Dare I say it here? – Write. I used to write letters, I used to write poetry. people comment on how they enjoy the sort-of-annual family newsletters I write. My writing now consists of taking dictation from my children for the things I have THEM write, with a few e-mails smattered in between. I’ve been toying with doing the freewrites just for fun, just for ME. None of the kids are old enough to do them yet – they can’t move the pencil automatically enough. But I’m curious sometimes what my mind would come up with if given the chance. I’d probably type instead of using a pencil.
* MAKE a cup of tea! I don’t mind drinking it cold – guess I’ve gotten used to it (LOL)! But I’ve been known to heat water three, maybe even four times before finally getting some into my cup. I used mostly loose tea, so it’s a bit more complicated than throwing in a tea bag.
* Forget the responsibilities for a while and just PLAY – with the kids, with my husband . . . I’m too darn responsible and task-oriented, though I thoroughly enjoy the play when I allow it. I’m doing better at at least being playFUL throughout the day in my interactions with the kids.
Wow. Didn’t think I’d come up with much besides the “get a haircut” thing. Just goes to show you never know what the mind will come up with when given a chance until you give it a chance.