Quarantine Karaoke and Self-Care (Part 1)
This week’s main topic of Self-Care is going to have a slightly heavier feel to it, so I’ll be doing a two-fer each day. We will explore both a playful and a serious element of self-care to stay balanced.
First, the light and breezy piece. Have you seen the group, Quarantine Karaoke on Facebook? If not, you should take a look Anyone can post a video of themselves doing Karaoke to their song of choice. Much like regular karaoke, there’s the good, bad, and AWFUL. You won’t be disappointed—-well, you might, but it’s still pretty amazing.
Isn’t is incredible the resiliency we as a people have? We are coming together in all kinds of new ways to play and connect. Being playful is so very important during this time.
The second part of today’s post is on self-care. We all know what it is. We all know we “should” do it. But. what does it look like right now? We’re going to be exploring that over the next week or so in Ray of Peace.
We have to start at the very beginning though. What keeps us from self-care even when we know how and why it’s necessary?
First, I want to take you on a brief journey to discover your personal blocks to self-care, so we can start to dismantle those. Then we’ll spend some time learning and practicing ways to engage in self-care during this unprecedented time of our lives.
I have included two different ways to get to this information. The first is a guided visualization where you’ll use your right brain and imagination to find the blocks that you have to self-care. The second way is a more left brain linear way of getting to this information. Feel free to do the one that makes the most sense to you, or do both and see what similarities you see between the two.
Right brain option:
Take a few minutes to get a pen and paper or journal, and allow yourself to get comfortable.
When you get there, take a few deep breaths in and out, as you settle in to your body.
Consider the last time you knew you NEEDED to engage in self-care, but couldn’t for some reason.
Feel that feeling/sensation in your body. Where do you feel this in your body?
Now, ask yourself when was the very first time that you felt this way? It could have been a very early memory—maybe a time when you were little and your caregivers, or a teacher, or other person in your life passed along a message about what it means to engage in self-care. Take a few minutes to write these memories down. Just let the thoughts flow. They don’t need to make sense. Just keep writing for at least 5 solid minutes.
Left Brain option:
Take your pen and paper and answer the following questions.
When you were little, how did your caregivers model (or not) self-care?
What messages (spoken or unspoken) did your family share about the following things:
rest,
recreation/play,
work
Take a moment and look at the things that you wrote down. What beliefs did you learn early on about self-care?
Here are some typical limiting beliefs that keep us from engaging in self-care:
I’m unworthy (unworthy of self-care or need to work 24/7 to prove my worth)
It’s selfish (if I engage in self-care, I may not be available to help people, or I cant engage in self-care because other’s don’t have that same privilege.)
I don’t have enough time/space/resources (This can be a spin on one of the other beliefs above, or could be slightly different) (needing your self-care to be perfect—needing to be in a peaceful yoga studio rather than your basement with the kids running around or needing a certain type supplies)
What limiting beliefs did you come up with that I missed? If you post in the comments below, I will address some fun ways to get around those limiting beliefs in future posts.