Self Care: intentional/preventive vs last minute

Have you ever heard of Mirna Valerio?

Okay, if not, you need to check her out:
National Geographic introduces Mirna Valerio
Mirna's Facebook Fan Page
Mirna's Website
Mirna's Instagram Page

She is pretty much amazing and basically my hero. And I follow her on every platform I can. Mostly because she is inspiring, real, relatable, and encouraging. I love having a woman who is big like me doing big things in the world of running. No longer do I feel alone about being a big girl who wants  to run. THERE IS A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE LIKE ME. We are called the Fat Girls Running, and yes we have a facebook group. ;)  Where we come together with passion for running, a place to express our insecurities, a place to ask questions we would otherwise feel awkward asking, a place to encourage one another and cheer each other on. It's basically the best -- and so inspiring to see women like me achieving goals and running long races. I've never been so motivated to run in my life. And I've been doing it more and more regularly. :)


Any way, today Mirna made a post on her instagram that caught my attention and made me stop and think. Mirna asked: "Have you figured out what kind of self-care you'll be gifting yourself [next year]?"

I've literally never asked myself this question. Ever.

I fully believe in self care. But it's often a last minute, what am I going to do today for self care? kind of question. I don't pre-plan or goal plan my self care. It's literally me trying to figure out how to pamper myself on whatever leftover time or money I have, and usually this problem solving venture is when I am far beyond stressed out and overwhelmed. It's not a preventive/pre-emptive practice.

So maybe Mirna has a point -- maybe I'm approaching self-care all wrong.

Maybe I need to make self-care intentional. Planned. I need to approach it as more of a gift to myself instead of just one more box to tick off my to do list for the week.

So what kind of self care do I want to gift myself next year?
- More hiking!! I want to go to Hanging Rock State Park and explore more parks in the mountains. There is something about being in the mountains, in the peace and quiet, beneath the trees (and sometimes above the trees when I reach the peak), that grounds me...
- A trip out West to visit some of the National Parks Dad loved and had planned for us to see together. I dont know if this is a realistic goal for this year, but it's one I want to cross off in the near future!
- More yoga. I'd like to try and find at least five minutes a day to practice yoga. Maybe as just a breathing/meditation exercise. Maybe stretching. Maybe a quick flow. Or maybe I spend five minutes breathing and it grows into a full on hour long practice. But five minutes is the goal I want to set. Five minutes because yoga is an act of self care, and I want to keep it in that realm and not turn it into a fitness goal. I want yoga to remain calming, transformative, quiet, and a haven -- mentally, emotionally, and physically.