Is It Time For A Tune-Up!
“You need to get rid of that stinking thinking and get a checkup from the neck up,” Zig Ziglar
Will You Be Mindful of YOU Today?
We spend a lot of time “tuning” up our cars, home appliances, our finances, and our continuing education…just to name a few! Each day I see a reminder/sticker on my car's windshield that reminds me of when I need to get my next oil change. Wouldn't it be great if we would take the time to create a new habit of reminding ourselves of when we need to conduct our next SELF CARE TUNE-UP? You can...and the beauty of it... it is totally designed and orchestrated by you.
Plus a great perk of a SELF CARE TUNE-UP... you start to rewire your brain with your new "tuned-up" MINDSET. This happens as you move towards your new healthy choices, responses, actions, thoughts, and new habits.
Will you set a reminder to do a SELF CARE TUNE-UP?
WHAT DOES A TUNE-UP LOOK LIKE?
Self-care itself is simply the act of caring for yourself. It’s a mindset. You have to believe that self-care will benefit you in some way AND that you deserve to prioritize yourself over your work, family, profession – every area of your life – and carve out time for yourself. It is important to give yourself permission to prioritize yourself over everyone and everything else in your life. When you do this, you are not being selfish or narcissistic by putting your needs first. It means you know you can be your best self when you’re taking good care of yourself and your needs.
IS IT TIME FOR A MINDSET TUNE-UP?
Good News – a MINDSET TUNE-UP will be the best thing you can do for yourself today.
When you take time to think about “what you think about,” you are doing a TUNE-UP and implementing a growth mindset. It reminds me of when we are taking care of our physical bodies...we feel great, alert, and healthy. But if we get off track we begin to feel the "yucky" effects of it. Your mindset is the same and that is the beauty of a MINDSET TUNE-UP. If you find yourself revisiting old MINDSET habits like negative thoughts or self-limiting beliefs (or anything else), then it is time to TUNE UP your mindset and get back on track. Is it time for a MINDSET TUNE-UP?
PUT THE MASK ON YOU FIRST
Self-care tune-ups will look different for everyone: disconnecting from social media, diet, exercise, mindset reset, and time for yourself!
I recently was on an airplane, and they showed us how to put the “mask” on in case oxygen levels dropped dangerously low. The message is always the same, “put the mask on yourself first.” Without our oxygen masks, we will quickly lose consciousness and will very likely not be able to help anyone else. A personal tune-up is the same. By spending quality time with ourselves and putting the mask on us first, we can now be healed of past hurts, self-limiting beliefs, etc. Self-Care Tune-Up = Putting the mask on YOU first.
GOOD HABITS / BAD HABITS
Do you want better habits? Habits determine so many things in our lives: what we eat, hobbies, how we feel and think, what we do each day, and our routines. Habits shape and reshape your reality. Many times we can get so caught up in negative behaviors that we forget how simple it can be to change a habit. According to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, we each follow a feedback loop of cues, behaviors, and rewards. Repeat! Taking on new habits by giving yourself new cues and rewarding different behaviors will help interrupt old habits. It will reshape your choices and responses.
1. Recap / Prepare Your Day – Part of a self-care tune-up is preparation. If you can take time at the end of the day to recap what was accomplished and map out your “to do” list for the next day, you put your mindset at peace and you are better prepared to face a new day.
2. Schedule Self Care – Be proactive rather than reactive. By practicing and scheduling self-care on a regular basis you’re taking control of your life and how you address stress. When you make yourself a priority you’re making sure your own cup is filled first before going out and helping other people. You’ll have fewer of those moments where you feel like you just can’t give any more of yourself.
3. Trust the Process – It won’t happen overnight, but over time you will see the results, just like you do with any other change you make in your life. The more you travel this new self-care path, the less time you will spend on the path of bad habits. Bad habits will feel out of place and will sound an alarm because it doesn’t align with the new you. Remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint.
4. Picture the Best Version of Yourself – A self-care tune-up helps you step into the best version of yourself. When you remodel a house, it is done one room at a time or one project at a time. Stepping into the best version of yourself is a step-by-step process. Picture what that looks like to you and then start moving in that direction.
“To meditate means to go home to yourself. Then you know how to take care of the things that are happening inside you, and you know how to take care of the things that happen around you.” – Thich Nhat Han
Other Self Care Tune-Up Tips
* Get your sleep
* Tune-Up Your Spirit, Soul, and Body
* Watch what you eat
* Meditation
* Get Outside / Move
* Take 5-minute breaks throughout the day
* Learn to say YES and NO
* Focus on relationships / Love yourself
* Take a social media break
* Daydream … a lot
* Reflect on your accomplishments
THIS IS WHAT I KNOW - Creating time to do a self-care tune-up is similar to the time we make for our vehicle tune-ups. What I mean is that the oil change, rotation of tires, and changing the air filters provide an opportunity for the car to run longer and more efficiently. There are small tune-ups in our lives and there are more in-depth tune-ups. Each one builds upon the other to make us whole!
Each time we put ourselves first to become the best version of who we need to be in this life and in our space, we are impacting the world around us and the people in our world. I think of the ocean. When we start dumping garbage and other things into it, it affects the beautiful ecosystem and marine life which lives in the ocean. The coral reefs start to die, etc. However, when we respect it and take care of it, the coral reef system starts to grow again and the life within the ocean has a chance to be restored.
We carry many pieces of baggage called anger, hurt, jealousy, resentment, unforgiveness, and pride which only hurts us and hinder our personal growth. Thus, the importance of doing a self-care tune-up routine.
Put the mask on yourself first today and start creating a new habit that consists of a self-care tune-up plan for YOU.
If this resonates with you and you would like to work with me as your Success / Life Transition Coach, go to Let’s Connect and start a conversation.
“In dealing with those who are undergoing great suffering, if you feel ‘burnout’ setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.” – Dalai Lama