So anyway. How are you? I’m writing this looking out on a very rainy Glasgow today, and trying not to go into the kitchen to make cheese on toast, because that would be a slippery slope…

This week, I have got to thinking about self care. It’s an expression that we hear A LOT isn’t it? Self care can come in many shapes and forms, from meditation, to a 10 mile run. It should feel joyous looking after yourself, but have you ever felt like it’s an obligation and not an option?

You know and I know it, sometimes its seems as if, things always have to be worthy of a social media post, and at what point does it get too much? Like many people I have been spending the majority of my time at home, and for while, my self care was tidying and organising. I have now got to a stage in my flat where I can, with confidence, say that I know where everything is, from gloves to my care insurance documents.

I must admit, in the past, particularly when it comes to my own menopausal weight gain, I was trying to do too much and too often, and it really didn’t work out well. It felt like an obligation to beat myself up at the gym, when the reality was, it was the worst thing I could have done! I found myself leapfrogging from one fitness regime to another, and almost putting myself into a blind panic, because nothing was working.

It wasn’t until I had a chat with my sister about it, and she was the one who told me to take my foot off the pedal and step back from trying to do so much!

Even now, why do I have 2 subscriptions to online gyms? I honestly have the fear about cancelling any of them.

So the big question is: Does your self care feel like an option or an obligation?

We shouldn’t forget that everything we do in life, should feel as joyous as it can be. Unless it’s tidying out the tupperware cupboard of course.

Do we need to find our ‘why?’ again, when it comes to choosing what to do.

I eat well and exercise because I want to keep fitting into my jeans. Thats it. Thats the goal.

Another reason is because osteoporosis runs in the female line of my family, so yes, thats another reason why a resistance train, and have kettlebells and resistance bands in the house. Resistance bands for the win by the way. Here is a fantastic trainer, here, Sarah Gorman with a 10 minute workout that will get your glutes firing up!!!

So here is my self care list just now:

Plan my day out, the night before, so I know what I’m doing

Drink more water: make every 2nd drink water instead of more coffee

Do diverse movement that I WANT to do, at least once a day

Make a list of pals to contact so that I have had contact with the outside world

Eat colourful food

Remind myself that I don’t need to polish off the whole bar of chocolate, or I will have non for the next day (this is a menopause munchy thing - need to keep a lid on the ghrelin hormone firing up)

These are all options that I enjoy and I don’t feel obligated to do them. Try not to get too overwhelmed with all the options out there! Pick the ones you enjoy.

Onward!

Elizabeth