Newsletter Update: We are almost at that time of year where I take my annual break. This year there will not be a newsletter from December 21 - January 10 (restart on Jan 11).
We all face times in our life when our self-care practices don't work as well as they once did. This does not always mean that you need to find something new or stop doing it.
In fact, this is typically when you need to keep doing them.
So, let’s dig in and figure out if you need to make a change or what may have triggered the problems.
Before that I want to make sure we are on the same page as to what a self-care practice is.
A practice is an activity that you do on a regular basis not to get to a finish line or accomplish a goal. But instead to help you manage the ups and downs of life.
Practices can include meditation, journaling, exercising or prayer.
So now, what do you do when you are struggling with your practice?
Just Keep Going
We all experience good and bad times with our practices. Every day and all phases of life bring us different experiences with our practices. Just because you have been meditating for 5 years doesn't mean that you won’t have times where you are not able to settle in. Everyone experiences times where our mind wanders, we can’t sit still, and we look at the clock every 30 seconds.
There are days where my journaling practice yields 3 sentences after 20 minutes. Where my meditation is more of a to-do checklist review running in my head. And there are days where I start struggling in warm-up of my workout.
Instead of judging myself I remind myself that this is natural. My mind, body, emotions, and everything else are different every day.
In fact – this is exactly why we have practice in the first place! Not every day, year or even decade is going to be easy. Our self-care practices keep us going.
Adjust the Practice
It may be time for a minor adjustment to the practice. Small tweaks can make something fit your current needs better.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- Do you need a new time for the practice?
- A new location?
- A different technique or style?
Consider picking one aspect of your practice and change that. For meditation you may go from sitting in your bedroom to outside in your garden. For your workout you could pick out a new style of cardio.
Pick one thing and adjust that to see if it helps. I don’t recommend more than one at a time, otherwise it can be difficult to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Then give the practice a week or two to see if the change helped.
Did you change your practice, and it is not working for you?
Just like you may need to make a change, sometimes you do, and it doesn't work. So, change it back.
Why list this separately from above? Because sometimes you don’t even realize you made the change. For example, maybe you updated your workout playlist. But never realized that this was when you started to struggle.
Ask yourself what is different with your practice today versus a month ago. Then change it back and see if that helps.
Life is Harder Right Now
Is there an event in your life that is making this harder? For example, are you more stressed at work because of a big project? If so, remind yourself that the practice is probably working. Imagine what your stress levels would be if you weren’t meditating or working out!
If this is the case, you may consider adding more. It could be you just need a bit more self-care right now.
Time to Quit?
Is it time to let it go? It is completely acceptable to let old practices go if they no longer work for you and don’t fit your life’s needs.
For example, when I was doing large amounts of emotional healing work I did tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) daily. Once I got passed some major issues, I found it less and less useful as a daily practice. So, I removed it. I still use it when needed, but no longer as a daily practice.
Remember that these self-care practices are meant to help us. If yours is causing more stress than it is helping, then it is time for a new practice. And remember just because everyone else raves about how much it helps them, does not mean it will help you.
If you started a new practice and have given it at least 6 months, and it isn’t working. Then find something that works for you.
You got this,
Andrea
Recommended Resources
Atomic Habits - I am reading this right now and like it. I always put off reading this as I am typically very good at maintaining good habits and routines. But everyone raves about it and you never know when you may learn something new! I like the way he presents the information, it makes me think about habits slightly different.
How to Create a Routine That Works For You - this is an older video podcast of mine, but still helpful! If you are struggling to find something that works for you check it out.
When you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help!
- Energy and Spiritual Healing - Feel like something is off but can't figure it out? It may be time for an energy clean-up.
- Ready for more help? Coaching and mentorship is a great way to explore your purpose and what is blocking it on a regular basis. Explore Package options.
- Spiritual Guidance Answers - stuck and can't seem to figure out what to do next? I can help by doing connecting with your guides. Through tarot, shamanic journeying and channeling.
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