Do Something for You This Weekend

I used to pooh pooh the whole concept of self-care and "taking time for myself". If you are in a really busy stage of your life, perhaps with young children running around, a demanding job, or find yourself in the sandwich portion of your life where you are still acting as a parent to your own children but also taking care of aging parents, you may be doing that same "pooh poohing". You think you are far too busy worrying and taking care of everyone else to give yourself a second thought. Well, I'm here to tell you, Sister, you need to think again.You are in this life for a long time. This great big life of yours is meant to be a really, really long marathon and not a sprint. Taking time to take care of YOU is the only way you will be able to make it to the finish line of this marathon.Since it is Friday, I was thinking of and planning my weekend. I was chatting with one of my class participants after a strength class today about her weekend plans. She's busy. She has a full-time job and a gaggle of children. I was so proud to hear her say she was planning on coming to my Saturday morning class because that was something she was doing for herself. That hour would be her hour to take care of herself. She got it. I was proud, not just because she planned on coming to a class I teach, but because she was scheduling something for herself that she knew would go toward her own health, happiness, stress reduction and self-care.A while back I posted about doing something for your future self. I just love this whole concept. It works in all areas of life - not just the health and fitness portion. This has particularly been on my mind as I watch my three sons. They are in stages of their lives in highschool and college where things matter. What they do now can set the path for themselves. They can be taking steps now for their future selves. So, their future selves can thank them or can want to smack them over the heads.So, this weekend, with maybe a more relaxed schedule, think of ways to take care of yourself. Think of things that you can do now - whether it is going for a walk, getting a bit more rest, de-cluttering an office, getting through a difficult chore, stocking up with fresh fruits and vegetables, putting on sunscreen, taking time to stretch, or having a break from your gadgets - whatever it is that will help you take care of you and your future self.Here is an exerpt from my post of doing something for your future self:

2. DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR FUTURE SELFI have stolen this one from a Gretchen Rubin podcast and I just loved it! A listener offered this idea as a way to make your day happier. I think it’s a great take on making yourself happier, but can also be to make yourself healthier. The idea is to do something now that will make your life better in the future. It doesn’t have to be in the far future either. This idea can be as simple as making your coffee the night before so it can be ready to brew the next morning (and you can do your stretches while it does!). You can do your grocery shopping and prep all of your healthy vegetables on Sunday so you can enjoy them all week. You can pack your gym bag and lay out your clothes at night so you will be ready in the morning. You know how glad you are when you do make the effort to do these things before you need them! You can also think of it in the long term. You might not really want to get up and get to the gym for that spin class, but your healthier future self will thank you. Choosing to eat healthy might seem boring at times, but your future self with low cholesterol, low blood pressure and good doctor reports will thank you.

And if you are looking for more on this topic, check out30 Vital Things Your Future Self Will Thank You For