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Commit to Self-Care in 2018
Happy New Year! I love this time of year and hearing what everybody plans to do in the new year. I often hear similar resolutions and many revolve around self-care. This is probably not a coincidence. As the year progresses, we tend to lose sight of our resolutions and get lost in various roles and responsibilities (i.e. mom, wife, teacher, etc.). We have a tendency to push our own needs to the bottom of our to-do list. The problem with this is that it leads to burn out, exhaustion, and apathy. So, what can we do to make a commitment for continued focus on self-care in 2018?
Something that I have found to be incredibly helpful is to take time to consciously reflect on my self-care strategies on a regular basis. I will schedule time once a month to do something just for me and take note of how I have been taking care of myself in that month. I assess what's working (and what's not) and make any necessary adjustments to improve self-care the following month. I also find that sharing my insights and new self-care goals with others helps to increase accountability and improve my motivation to commit to myself.
In order to assist community members in taking this dedicated time to re-focus on self-care each month, I am starting a series of monthly self-care workshops for community members and for mental health professionals to reflect on their own self-care strategies, engage in structured art-making, and set goals related to self-care. I am excited to announce that the first self-care Saturday will occur on January 27th, 2018! Check out the events page of my website to learn more about upcoming workshops. I hope to see you there!