It could be working out regularly, doing some sort of cleanse, or even doing something fun for yourself.
BUT THEN YOU DON’T DO IT.
You get busy. You’re tired. You forget. And when you remember, it’s never the right time.
So it doesn’t happen. Again. And it remains just an idea.
If you continue on that way, nothing changes.
So here’s my question for you: What are you waiting for?
There never is a perfect time or a perfect situation where the to-do list is empty and our bank account is full and the stars have aligned and the heavens have merged and whatever else needs to happen for it to be the “right time.”
I’ve been thinking about playing tennis again for a loooong time. I played on the high school tennis team. Nothing to write home about, but it was fun. It kept me active and it was a great way to challenge myself. I hadn’t played in YEARS (maybe 20), but I wanted to. And for the past three years, I’ve been saying, “Wouldn’t it be great to start playing tennis again?”
I’m proud to report that I did just that on Sunday. I got together with one of my best friends, also a mom, also a doctor, also with the same intentions as me. And we had a FANTASTIC time. Talk about multi-dimensional self-care. In a two-hour period, I moved my body and exercised physically, had the mental stimulation for strategy, had the detox benefits of working up a sweat, enjoyed the sun on my skin and the gentle breezes, connected with a great friend, and even indulged in an iced coffee when we were done.
Self-care covered for the day, and I felt AMAZING.
But what felt most amazing was making something happen that I had been talking about for YEARS. Years, ladies, not days or months. And it was so simple.
So what was it that made the difference and transformed this intention from just another good idea to an experience I enjoyed?
I DECIDED I was going to make it happen this summer. I talked to everyone I knew who seemed the slightest bit interested in playing tennis, or who might know someone who was.
Then I ASKED people who seemed interested if they wanted to play sometime. I got some positive responses and that was great.
But to make it HAPPEN, my friend and I had to actually schedule it. Put it on the calendar. And do it. We both did our part with this piece, although if I had asked for a specific day and time when I originally asked people to play, this could have happened much sooner. (Baby steps, though, baby steps.)
The benefits were beyond what I could have imagined.
You can multiply the benefits of self-care with ONE experience. Pick something you love – something fun for you, preferably something active to give you multiple benefits out of the gate. Then include someone you can enjoy it with, maybe a partner or spouse, a child or a good friend. Then do it in a setting that adds to the experience, preferably outside, to get all of the amazing benefits of being out in nature.
Bingo, you are now an official Self-Care multi-tasker.
Think about something you’ve been putting off that would add to your day-to-day experience. Ideally, something that would give you multiple benefits from a self-care perspective. DECIDE you are going to do it. ASK for help or participation to make it happen. SCHEDULE it, get it on your calendar.
Final step? ENJOY IT and reap all of the amazing benefits of taking time to have fun while also taking great care of YOU.
To Your Best Health,
Dr. Kendall Ritz
