Self-care.

I am writing this while sitting in the car outside someone's house--a no-show, as I (not-so)  affectionately am calling this person right now. Maybe if I sit and write for awhile she will show up so I can do my job.

I thought I would like more of the blogtember prompts. The prompts I looked at doing this week were on personality tests (you take one and give your response to the results) and on how social media has changed you. I just didn't really feel interested in talking about either of those things. My own thoughts are faaaar more interesting. (Kidding. . . well, am I?)

Yesterday in my MFT supervision group this girl was talking about self-care and how important she thinks it is in order to contitnue doing quality therapy work with clients. I have been thinking about some of the self-care things that I have neglected to do lately. Why do I neglect these things? Because I am busy maybe, or lazy. Not to be a downer, but sometimes when you are in a "giving" or "helping" profession, I think it feels like you just don't have anything left to give to yourself. Self-care would really have to be a high priority, and a very conscious and intentional effort has to be made. I'm sure this is true for just about any busy lifestyle, regardless of it being a "helping" profession or otherwise.

My current self-care regimen consists of watching House with Chad before bed a few nights a week, and trying not to say no when invited to hang out with friends. Actually, those two things seem to go a long way in keeping me buoyed up and going during the week. But I have several others I would like to get back to doing (these are all things I have done in the past, so there's no reason I can't start again).

• Playing and listening to live music. This is healing for my soul, and I need to stop glancing over at the piano/guitar and then aimlessly back to my computer screen. I need to create, and as much as I love blogging, and home decor, and crafty-stuff, songwriting is the best way I've ever found (well, and maybe journaling, too) to express myself. Maybe it's because I am allowed to put my thoughts all down at once, and unless someone is very rude, I usually don't get interrupted mid-song. And no one interrupts my journal, that's for sure.
• Journaling. See above.
• Being outside intentionally. In other words, not just walking five feet between my house and the car and appointments. Not just happening upon my daily dose of Vitamin D. This means eating my breakfast out on the porch, or taking a walk through a park (instead of Target or Family Dollar) when I find myself with time between sessions during the day. (Ahem, maybe instead of sitting in the car writing blog posts. Although, this is good for me right now.)
• Running. Or working out regularly. I ran last night for the first time in at least a week, and I know I need to make time for it more often. It feels good and there seems to be no quicker way to de-stress.
• Reading scriptures & praying. Chad and I almost always read together before bed, and we always pray before bed. But I need my own time to really soak it in, and I need to be having my own personal conversations with my Heavenly Father. That's just how I feel about it. There is something more candid and real when I study something out on my own or express my thoughts in prayer. Not that I don't LOVE when Chad and I do it together, because I do, but I just know I seem to regress in my own personal relationship with my Savior when I don't make it an individual priority. Plus then, our gospel conversations are usually better anyway, because I have some of my own thoughts to bring to the table.
• Going to the library. One final self-care item that I stopped doing several months ago because I accidentally kept a bunch of books for way too long and racked up some fines, and I felt so dumb about it I just dropped the books off and never went back. But I love books, and I love libraries. I need to pay my fines so I can make that part of my life again.

I think that's pretty much it. What do you do for self-care? How do you keep yourself motivated or on track for doing those kinds of things for yourself?