What’s the best self-care investment?
It’s that time of year again…
Holiday plans and shopping lists and travel arrangements and … open enrollment for health care plans.
It’s no secret that prices are rising on pretty much everything…
… and this may be a factor for you when prioritizing what is essential regarding gifts, plans and even self-care budgets.
I want to share a word of encouragement toward greater self-reliance when it comes to health care … and not just because this has bearing on my business. :)
It’s always been a part of my mission - well, likely most of us in the holistic health care world - to shift the perception many have of practices like massage, movement and meditation to a more ‘essential’ level, rather than just a luxury.
It’s not an either/or when it comes to where we turn for advice, care, expertise - whether a doctor or an herbalist or trusting our bodies.
Ideally, we have a spectrum of sources we can trust, depending on the needs we have.
But, I think it’s been demonstrated that the more empowered we feel to take care of ourselves and our loved ones, the less anxious we may be when health care costs increase or become less accessible.
We are also entering the season of ‘resolutions’ - where we are inspired/encouraged/pressured :) to dedicate ourselves anew to our health once the calendar page turns.
Sure, we’re likely a little jaded by now, especially by all the marketing around the whole prospect, as well as the statistics showing how a majority of folks give up their well-intentioned plans by the third week of January.
Besides the fact that the whole New Year’s resolution thing is a bit arbitrary and built on extrinsic motivation (which rarely is sustainable), I believe a lot of our well-meaning attempts at health redemption fall short for reasons other than that we lack willpower.
For example, exploring first if the efforts we take on are actually aligned with our needs, our time and our budget.
A lot of this stuff sounds like a good idea, but is it realistic given whatever else is going on in our lives?
If you’re considering giving a ‘gift of health’ this year, whether to yourself or to others - be it a gym membership, or exercise equipment, or a yoga class, or even a shiatsu session, here are some things to consider to help you invest more wisely (and realistically) -
1) What will it cost, both in money, and the time to use it?
It’s a question of fitting it into our money budget, but also our time/energy budget.
Concerning time, what would have to be rescheduled or dropped to make room for a new activity? We can be wildly idealistic about a new thing, and on paper it may make sense to get up earlier, or do the thing on the way home or after work. It’s good to be honest with ourselves about where our already established rhythms are.
2) Could you create a support system?
Like, someone to help with kids or pets, or make dinner, or give you time with the door closed, or accompany you or cheer you on in your activity? And likewise, is support something you can offer to someone you’re gifting with a class or massage or whatever to make it easier for them to cash in?
3) Are you (or your gift recipient) clear on what you want out of the experience?
Again, self-care practices are likely obvious on the surface that they’ll provide benefit. But, we have to be able to see ourselves doing a thing and connected to the specific benefits that WE are seeking to sustain our interest and motivation for making time and following through.
4) Are you (or your recipient) willing to chalk something up as a fun experiment?
When it comes to taking on a new movement program, or diet regimen, etc. there’s often a lot of hope that THIS will be the thing that transforms us. And if it doesn’t, or we find ourselves falling away from the practice, we might feel discouraged. (And if it’s something we’ve received from another, is there now also the heaviness of obligation…?)
Approaching a new routine with the attitude of ‘I’m just trying something different and seeing what happens’ can take a lot of the pressure off, and allow us to just enjoy the experience for what it is.
We are free to explore if this thing is actually right for us, and if not, why? (In which case, refer back to the former three questions…)
Want more help in sussing all this out? Contact me!
I’m Gina Loree Bryan, bodyworker, movement & meditation teacher, human.I hope you enjoyed reading my blog.
Feel free to forward to another human, and thank you for respecting the thought and time I put into these writings by sharing them with all credit due to the author. :)
You can find my free movement and meditations videos on YouTube, and some of my rambly-er extrapolations on Substack.
© 2022 - gina loree bryan
