Yes, I like alliterations. Plus I have a pal who purposely puts punny, pithy platitudes in her prose that are positively pleasing.. 😉
So it’s HOT – at least in the Northern Hemisphere. And I’m of Norwegian descent and my body tells me to go look for a snowbank to stick my head in or house with a/c when it gets over 60% humidity and the temp is above 80 F. And yes, we’re going to talk about self care AGAIN. Cause it’s THAT important.
Self care is not just mani-pedis and massages, or whatever people have made up about self care.
First, it’s what fills YOU up. That is YOU singular. You, reading this. What you in particular enjoy and find fills your own cup up. That might be silly things like alliterations.
It is VITALLY important to practice EXTREME self care when you are the primary family caregiver of someone with an eating disorder.
Self care is not optional. Not selfish. NO! Imperative. I’m going on and on about this because many of us (sadly, women in particular – aka: moms) tend to see self care as selfish. It’s a belief many of us embedded in ourselves at some juncture due to all sorts of reasons. And lack of self care can leave us depleted to the point we are no longer able to function at our best, to say the least. There is no way we can effectively care for a loved one with an 
eating disorder when our cup is empty and has holes in it.
Right now, it’s a HOT holiday weekend in the middle of a pandemic. And, if you are the primary caregiver of someone with an eating disorder, their anxiety is likely skyrocketing. So that means that your life has become something similar to a cat on a hot tin roof. Close?
So…self care time.
Here are my top 5 tips for this hot holiday weekend to keep your sweet self cool, calm and collected. Yes, it’s okay to let some other stuff slide. YOU matter.
- FROZEN LAVENDER WASHCLOTHS – Wet a washcloth and spritz it with some lavender essential oil. Or drop a few drops on it and smush it around. Then roll it up or fold like an accordion and place it in the freezer for several hours (okay, 3 will do). Then take it out when you’re hot and place it gently on the back of your neck to cool your tired neck (that probably has a pain in it) and sit back and relax.
- FOOT BATH/WEED KILLER – When you have weeds in your patio, here is an idea for a hot day. Get a shallow bucket and fill with cool water, some epsom salts and your favorite essential oil. Soak your feet while you relax (maybe with the frozen lavender washcloth). Then when you’re finished, dump it on the patio and voila! The weeds will die from the salty water. 🙂
- SIT & DO NOTHING – It really is okay. Actually, it’s necessary at times. And you’re worthy of taking the time to actually DO NOTHING for a while.
Really. Sitting and doing nothing for a while is okay. - BE IN NATURE – Wherever we are we can simply notice the colors, smells, textures, light and feel of plants we can stay grounded and be more present. It can take us out of our heads and help us be in the present moment. Which takes us out of our heads and calms us.
- CONNECT WITH OLD (okay, longtime) FRIENDS – Who can you spend time with just chatting about what matters and relishing in the moment? Just being ourselves with long time friends can sooth us and help us feel supported and nurtured.
What will you allow or gift yourself to enjoy this holiday weekend? Even if your child is still really sick. You filling your cup up will help them.
