Connect
4 WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE WITHOUT SPENDING A DIME
“Practice self-care.” We hear this constantly, but what we’re sold as self-care—spa treatments, vacations, long, luxurious baths—aren’t exactly things we can indulge in on a daily basis. As a result, we often neglect it altogether, and that leaves us stressed and depleted.
That’s why we love life coach Meghan Gieber’s approach to self-care. Instead of seeing it as an occasional indulgence, she works with a more literal interpretation: Self-care is about taking care of yourself. That means treating yourself, yes, but it’s also about protecting yourself from taking on too much and trying to be too many things to too many people. It may feel selfish at first—shouldn’t we do as much as we can for others?—but, as Gieber explains, it’s actually the most selfless thing we can do. “By prioritizing self-care and setting boundaries, you will feel so much better and have a bigger, brighter impact on people and things around you,” she says. “Through the magic of taking better care of you, you’re able to take better care of the world.”
Gieber walks her clients through the four exercises below to help them work self-care into their daily lives. Grab a pen and paper, and give them a try today!
TREAT YOURSELF EVERY SINGLE DAY
Make a list of 20 simple things that make you happy, such as lighting a candle, singing your favorite song, even watching a dog video. Circle seven that you want do this week. Then say this statement out loud with whole-hearted conviction, “I give myself permission to do something on my treat list every single day for the next week.” Start today. Notice how these small acts make you feel.
I’ve had clients try to convince me that they don’t have enough time to treat themselves every day. I don’t buy that. I always respond with, “you have as many hours in a day as Beyonce and are in control of your time and destiny.” What is the point of living if you don’t do something that makes you feel good every single day?
YOUR TO-DO LIST: BAG IT, BARTER IT, BETTER IT
Make a list of five things on your to-do list this week (personal or professional).
Bag it. Is there anything on the list that you don’t have to do if you don’t want to? For example, you don’t really have to clean your floors this week. Cross it off and notice how it feels. Hopefully you feel more liberated and in control of your to-do list, versus your to-do list taking control of your schedule and your emotional capacity.
Barter it. What can you barter on your list? For example, if you and your partner have errands to do, maybe one of you tackles Whole Foods while the other does a Target run.
Better it. How can you make your errands feel better? No one likes going to the DMV, but if you plan a coffee date with a friend after, going to the DMV might not seem as bad. Write down little ways you can make things on your to-do list feel better. And then do them!
CUT THE CORDS
We have energetic connections to everything we encounter. When when a person or situation is causing you a little disturbance, sometimes it’s healthy to cut these energetic cords. This tool is not about withholding love, it’s about re-calibrating energy so you don’t feel so drained—and so you’re able to bring more love and compassion to the situation next time. Try this:
- Think of a person or thing that is holding your attention.
- What does that feel like (constricted, heavy, weighted)? Write it down.
- Now imagine an energetic cord running from you to that person or situation and an energetic cord running from that person or situation to you. Really imagine and embody this.
- Visualize scissors in your mind. Now witness the scissors cutting both energetic cords as you say out loud with purpose, “I cut the cords that go from me to that person and from that person to me. Thank you.” Wait until you see the cords fall away.
- Bring that person/situation back to mind. How are you feeling (lighter, free, happier)? Write it down.
CREATE “DO NOT DISTURB” TIME
Not only do smartphones and tablets affect our physical health—the blue light they emit negatively affects our sleep cycle—but they also affect our emotional health. I can’t tell you how much more productive and happy you’ll be when you give yourself undistracted, unreachable time away from your devices.
Don’t let your mind fall prisoner to your devices and those who want to get in touch. Set aside time to be without them daily. An hour is best, but start with 30 minutes and see how it goes. What are you going to do with your undistracted hour? You might start to notice that you feel more in control of how you spend your time and that you’re getting things done that feel good. Try it for a week. Don’t compromise it.
Sometimes I hear, “but Meghan, I have kids and want to be connected in case of an emergency!” Get crafty here. How about time for yourself before bed? What can you possibly fix late at night? What good is it to be available to others right before you’re going to bed? Who are you letting be in control of your schedule?
Self-care isn’t about occasional indulgences. It’s a lifestyle. So practice, rinse, and repeat. The more you strengthen your self-care and boundary muscles, the easier it gets to take care of yourself as well as you do everything else.
Meghan Gieber is a Martha Beck certified life coach who’s on a pursuit to help people return to self-love. Follow her on Instagram at @meghangieber for updates on workshops, book clubs, and more. Email her if interested in a free consultation for 1:1 coaching at meghan@meghangieber.com.
“Practice self-care.” We hear this constantly, but what we’re sold as self-care—spa treatments, vacations, long, luxurious baths—aren’t exactly things we can indulge in on a daily basis. As a result, we often neglect it altogether, and that leaves us stressed and depleted.
That’s why we love life coach Meghan Gieber’s approach to self-care. Instead of seeing it as an occasional indulgence, she works with a more literal interpretation: Self-care is about taking care of yourself. That means treating yourself, yes, but it’s also about protecting yourself from taking on too much and trying to be too many things to too many people. It may feel selfish at first—shouldn’t we do as much as we can for others?—but, as Gieber explains, it’s actually the most selfless thing we can do. “By prioritizing self-care and setting boundaries, you will feel so much better and have a bigger, brighter impact on people and things around you,” she says. “Through the magic of taking better care of you, you’re able to take better care of the world.”
Gieber walks her clients through the four exercises below to help them work self-care into their daily lives. Grab a pen and paper, and give them a try today!
TREAT YOURSELF EVERY SINGLE DAY
Make a list of 20 simple things that make you happy, such as lighting a candle, singing your favorite song, even watching a dog video. Circle seven that you want do this week. Then say this statement out loud with whole-hearted conviction, “I give myself permission to do something on my treat list every single day for the next week.” Start today. Notice how these small acts make you feel.
I’ve had clients try to convince me that they don’t have enough time to treat themselves every day. I don’t buy that. I always respond with, “you have as many hours in a day as Beyonce and are in control of your time and destiny.” What is the point of living if you don’t do something that makes you feel good every single day?
YOUR TO-DO LIST: BAG IT, BARTER IT, BETTER IT
Make a list of five things on your to-do list this week (personal or professional).
Bag it. Is there anything on the list that you don’t have to do if you don’t want to? For example, you don’t really have to clean your floors this week. Cross it off and notice how it feels. Hopefully you feel more liberated and in control of your to-do list, versus your to-do list taking control of your schedule and your emotional capacity.
Barter it. What can you barter on your list? For example, if you and your partner have errands to do, maybe one of you tackles Whole Foods while the other does a Target run.
Better it. How can you make your errands feel better? No one likes going to the DMV, but if you plan a coffee date with a friend after, going to the DMV might not seem as bad. Write down little ways you can make things on your to-do list feel better. And then do them!
CUT THE CORDS
We have energetic connections to everything we encounter. When when a person or situation is causing you a little disturbance, sometimes it’s healthy to cut these energetic cords. This tool is not about withholding love, it’s about re-calibrating energy so you don’t feel so drained—and so you’re able to bring more love and compassion to the situation next time. Try this:
- Think of a person or thing that is holding your attention.
- What does that feel like (constricted, heavy, weighted)? Write it down.
- Now imagine an energetic cord running from you to that person or situation and an energetic cord running from that person or situation to you. Really imagine and embody this.
- Visualize scissors in your mind. Now witness the scissors cutting both energetic cords as you say out loud with purpose, “I cut the cords that go from me to that person and from that person to me. Thank you.” Wait until you see the cords fall away.
- Bring that person/situation back to mind. How are you feeling (lighter, free, happier)? Write it down.
CREATE “DO NOT DISTURB” TIME
Not only do smartphones and tablets affect our physical health—the blue light they emit negatively affects our sleep cycle—but they also affect our emotional health. I can’t tell you how much more productive and happy you’ll be when you give yourself undistracted, unreachable time away from your devices.
Don’t let your mind fall prisoner to your devices and those who want to get in touch. Set aside time to be without them daily. An hour is best, but start with 30 minutes and see how it goes. What are you going to do with your undistracted hour? You might start to notice that you feel more in control of how you spend your time and that you’re getting things done that feel good. Try it for a week. Don’t compromise it.
Sometimes I hear, “but Meghan, I have kids and want to be connected in case of an emergency!” Get crafty here. How about time for yourself before bed? What can you possibly fix late at night? What good is it to be available to others right before you’re going to bed? Who are you letting be in control of your schedule?
Self-care isn’t about occasional indulgences. It’s a lifestyle. So practice, rinse, and repeat. The more you strengthen your self-care and boundary muscles, the easier it gets to take care of yourself as well as you do everything else.
Meghan Gieber is a Martha Beck certified life coach who’s on a pursuit to help people return to self-love. Follow her on Instagram at @meghangieber for updates on workshops, book clubs, and more. Email her if interested in a free consultation for 1:1 coaching at meghan@meghangieber.com.
