I have been having a hard week personally and have focused most if not all my energy on self care.

• Traditional Volunteerism
  • I postponed my Crisis Text Line shift until next week so I could be a present, good counselor.

• Charitable Giving
  • I used the “Charity Miles” app here and there but am starting to get frustrated with it’s poor history and inaccurate tracking. I walk more miles than it counts. http://www.charitymiles.org/
  • Again I put a couple dollars into the Salvation Army bin.

• Personal Kindnesses
  • It was important to me that while I was somewhere that was produced a lot of anxiety and stress for me and most people there, that while I was waiting in the halls I made sure to make eye contact and smiled at as many people as possible. Just saying hi as I passed people really helped me feel grounded and better.

• Self Care
  • Like I said this was my main focus this week. I ate ice cream which always makes me happy. I tried to exercise when I could, did breathing exercises when I needed them, and pet my sweet dog. But above all I reached out to friends and family for support. I took hugs when they were offered and re-read texts of support over and over until I really internalized them. Self care doesn’t have to be done all by yourself. Sometimes self care means asking and taking help when you need it.

Please share in the comments how you’re doing this week!