Self-Care? Yes, Please

by Margie Senechal

I’m ready for a little self-care. For sure.

 The week of Christmas, I was feeling the pressure. I hadn’t wrapped presents, I had baking to complete, and work was exhausting. Getting something done after work was non-existent. I was lucky to make it into the house to collapse on the couch.

 

I’m pretty much a morning person, so I decided to embrace that and get up an hour earlier at 5 am. The first morning, I baked batches of PB Blossoms. The next morning Ginger cookies. The third morning I got some wrapping accomplished. And that jump on the day parlayed into my workday. I found I had more energy at work because I started the day feeling accomplished and not stressed over what I wasn’t getting done.

This week I decided to keep getting up at five and using that extra time to write. And so far, it’s working.

I’m writing in 30-minute sprints and have put more words on a page in the past few days then I have in months. And the words stay with me throughout the day. In the infrequent quiet moments, I find myself thinking about where my book is heading.

For the first time since my NC retreat honeymoon ended, I’m prioritizing my writing again. I’m making time to write because that time doesn’t just free up and appear out of thin air.

Last year I discovered Silk and Sonder planning journals. While I discontinued for the holidays, I’m hoping to start up again because I actually miss the accountability I’d been developing. And really, I love the notebooks. One of the hallmarks of Silk and Sonder are bingos. Some for self-care, some for seasonal fun, and some for self-improvement.

So, I decided to create a Writer’s Self-Care Bingo for anyone who’d like to play along. There’s no prizes, just fun and maybe a few
moments of serenity, calm, and accomplishment.

Take care of you!