Self Care Day 23: Stop Doing List
Last night, I discussed with a friend the practice of pursuing new self care habits and goals for ourselves. We shared that while it’s important to look at what we need to start to achieve the results we want, we also have to look at what we need to stop to get what we want.
For example, we spoke about developing a practice of getting 8 hours of sleep. If we know we need to be up by 6am, but consistently don’t go to bed until after 11:30pm, something is not working. But, despite knowing that going to bed earlier in the evening is good for us, we also have to look at what is keeping us up. It could be we have to stop watching Netflix after 9pm, or put away devices in a separate room when we’re in bed, or set an alarm clock for 9:30pm to remind us to start wrapping up the night.
To cultivate self care for ourselves, we have to make the space for the practices that work and release what doesn’t.
STOP DOING LIST
Today’s self care practice is creating a stop doing list. As I think about my self care goals and vision, I think about what I need to stop doing to support what I really want.
A few of my stop doing statements:
1. Stop waiting until I get home to plan what to eat for dinner
2. Stop sizing up the extra weight I have put on in the mirror
3. Stop using the same non-functioning budget system I have been using
4. Stop placing unnecessary pressure on myself to be immediately responsive to emails
My mantra for today: Stop what isn’t working so that I can start what will.
* Special thanks to Felice St. John for the inspiration for today’s post! You can find more about Felice and her coaching work here: FSJ Coaching
On Steph: Passionate about nourishment and self love, I am growing a body of work in self care. I love exploring tools, techniques, and practices for daily nourishment. Over the past ten years, I have been healing and finding joy through various modalities, including Brazilian dance, insight meditation, painting, SoulCollage®, Non-Violent Communication, morning pages, and spiritual study. I currently work as a non-profit program coordinator in Brooklyn, NY and live with my partner and fur-baby in Brooklyn. If you want to see more of my work, you can find more at: http://cosmiccowgirlsmagazine.com/author/stephcowling/
Honored for the shout out, Steph! And, I love that you took to a step further with the Stop Doing List! Thanks for your insight, wisdom and time to connect!
Yes, Felice!