Why Self Care is So Hard

Originally Posted May 5 2016

It shouldn’t be…...But it is.

It doesn't matter how hard you want it to be but it just never happens.

Even amidst all of the busy that you having going on.  You think, if I only had a day where I could have an amazingly healthy breakfast, then sit on my meditation pillow and then do yoga and then read my book and journal and then and then and then.

We know exactly what we would do.

But when the moment arises we can only manage to move to the couch and binge watch Netflix, scroll Instagram and maybe cook dinner.

What gives?

First off, don’t beat yourself up about doing absolutely nothing when you think you should be practicing self-care, self-love or whatever title you want to use.

Of course, Self-Care is really important and you’re wanting to incorporate it into your life for real reasons, but….

When you’re going, going and going to the brink of exhaustion, the only reasonable reaction when that comes to an end is to do absolutely nothing.

An individual with a lot of Wood in their Individual Alchemy know to well, that rest for the sake of rest doesn’t happen.  They go until they can’t go anymore, and then they knock themselves out due to complete exhaustion, rest  and then do it all over again.

It’s a cycle, one that could use a little balance and influence of other Elements but that’s what happens.

Given that we live in a very Wood Dominate society, this is the expectation that all of us place on ourselves as an acceptable way to live and work.

And at some point, something has to give, the adrenals say “THAT’S ENOUGH!” and you find yourself unable to move on your weekends, sick on your vacations and generally over-stimulated.

If that weren’t enough of a reason as to why having a bath with lavender essential oils and getting to your acupuncturist (wink, wink) feel almost impossible.  We have also been led to believe that Self-Care is a passive event.

That everything will just magically come together and your morning will look like something out of snow white when the birds dress her as she sings, an exaggeration but really not that far off.

A part of our psyche believes that one day it will just come together and we will awake enlightened.

But Self-Care/Self-Love is far from a passive experience.  It’s an active choice.  It takes immense work and commitment for those beautiful monks to sit in meditation for hours and days on end.

It really is no different for us.  You must choose to take care of you.

It needs to be scheduled into your calendar as if it were equal in importance to your “Work”

Because it is.

Your Self-Care, Pleasure and Ritual Supports Your Vision and Purpose in this life., Your Authenticity and Integrity provides the pathway to your Heart and legacy.  Without these Your work, your vision and your impact will not have the potency and reach that it deserves.

So with that, I encourage you right now to get out your calendar, perhaps through out 1-2 things in your calendar that you “should do but don’t want to” and then make some space for your self care.  It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it needs to be something that allows you to confirm that you as you are, are important.

Your Worth It.

and then in the comments, tell me what you decided to do.

XO Ashley