When I was surfing through miscellaneous videos this week I happened across one that said, given all the stress in our worlds these days, it’s important to give ourselves a little extra care. She recommended that we each do 3 things daily to care for ourselves, even if they’re only very small things.
That seemed like good advice, of course, but it brought to mind articles I’d see in magazines with titles like “10 Things to Do for Instant Happiness.” They’d list ten little things in an inane kind of way and you’d get a little smile from it and go on with your day. None of them ever said, “No, Seriously! Do these 10 things.” But maybe they should have.
Anyway, I thought it might be fun to see if I could come up with a list of mood-brighteners. I jotted down these:
* Spend a few quality minutes with your pet. Even if your pet is a plant or a rock.
* Go for a walk. Find a tree. Look at its bark, its shape, its leaves, its movement. Put your hand on its trunk and see what you feel.
* Watch a bird fly. Imagine what it feels like to fly like that, to see what a bird would see.
* Put on some great music and let it move you.
* Stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself out loud three things you really like about yourself.
* Get a brief glimpse into the world of elephants from National Geographic on YouTube.
I was right. It was fun to see what ideas flew into my mind. (And finding the elephant video was pretty cool, too.)
But then I remembered what I wanted to focus on was the idea of doing three things each day to show yourself that you care about you. Seriously. In fact, I think consciously choosing to do just three things for yourself each day could be a game-changer.
I already do lots of things in a day because I know I’ll enjoy them. Lots and lots. I dive right into most days on the lookout for treats and surprises. It’s healthy to expect joy in life. But what if I decided to do something inspirational, or pleasurable, or beneficial with conscious attention to the fact that I was doing it for myself simply as a way of caring for me, of appreciating myself? What if I asked myself what I could do for me and then followed through on whatever idea came to mind? What if I took just a moment each day, one in the morning, one at noon, one at night, to do something that brought me comfort, or satisfaction, or contentment, or peace?
What if I made that a habit? What if I committed to doing it every day, no matter what?
I kind of like those “what if’s.” They intrigue me. I think I’m going to give it a whirl. How about you? Seriously.
Wishing you a fine week.
Warmly,
Susan
Image by Neil Morrell from Pixabay