So the academic year is over and we pull our boats out of the sea for a few weeks for rest and repair.
Often, the boats we sail in are battered by heavy seas, caught in storms and beginning to take in water. How many people can relate to postponing much-needed self-care with the promise that it's just a few more weeks until the holidays?
The result is that we arrive at the shore exhausted. Many people begin the holidays by succumbing to the virus they have been fighting off for weeks or are too tired and overwhelmed to actually enjoy the packing and organising that going on holiday entails.
And who started the holidays with a vow to keep on top of things next year, to be better organised, take better care of ourselves and our homes, and have a more balanced approach to their working life? I know I did, repeatedly!
I discovered that I was as hard on myself in the holidays as I was when I was working. So I decided to look differently at the opportunity this time. With my boat out of the water, this is the chance to repair the wear and tear that life on the seas has caused. It is also an opportunity to look for ways to work differently, because some habits are destructive.This summer I will prioritising self-care, and creating habits that I hope will see me through the months to come.
This will look different for everyone, but for me it means prioritising connection. Connection with myself, with nature and with others. Did you know that meditation has the power to impact on the neural networks in the brain?
I'll be walking barefoot on the ground, and seeing those people who make me laugh and remind me that I am part of something greater than myself.
What are your self-care priorities this summer?