Day 3

It's been a heavy week.

Between the mid-term elections on Tuesday and another mass shooting which happened to be here in Los Angeles early this morning, America feels more divided than ever. With all the hostility, anger and resentment there seems to be a weight in the air that just won't let up.

This week for me being self-full has meant speaking my mind and holding tight to my convictions, but not getting swept into debate after debate on social media. I have had to intentionally decide what I want to say and when I need to walk away. I understand it is my responsibility to be engaged and informed about what is going on in our country and to voice my opinions, however, I also know I am solely responsible for my mental and emotional wellbeing. So, today's post is an encouragement. Stay connected and fight the good fight, but also be sure to take care of yourself. For me, self-care this week has looked like this:

1. Reading - I am an avid reader so this is something I need to continue even when there is so much going on in the world around me. 10 or 20 minutes in a different world truly gives my mind time to reset.

2. Yoga- I am working on establishing a more consistent yoga practice and I'm so glad that this week I made sure to get to class multiple times. Yoga requires me to focus on breathing. In day to day life, I find I don't always breath fully. Yoga encourages me to align breath and body. After a class, I always feel like parts of me that I've neglected snap back into place almost instantly.

3. Running- A few runs a week with upbeat music gives me dopamine and endorphin hits that help alleviate stress. A 20-minute run changes my entire day. Running also makes me feel really strong both physically and mentally. This is especially helpful when I feel very out of control in what is going on around me.

4. Sleep - Making sure I get enough sleep for me. Being tired only makes heavy situations heavier.

5. Time- I unplug. I log out of social media, I put my phone on silent and I "hermit" a bit more than normal. I take space from everyone and everything.

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Take inventory this weekend to think about what it is you need for self-care. Allow yourself to be selfish temporarily while you give your heart and mind time to catch up with all that's happened this week.  Process and heal. We've all been affected by the events of this week, some more than others.  Check in with yourself to see where you really are, how you really feel and what you really need. Take some time to determine what HEALTHY activities will help you put yourself back together. You can't help a broken world if you are broken.

Sending you love and healing thoughts today.

Ashley