Kindness…

The Importance of Self-Kindness: A Journey of Self-Care and Empowerment

Getting out in nature is one of the best ways to find balance and calm..

The Shift Toward Self-Kindness

If there’s one thing I have absolutely learned the importance of in the last 18 months, it’s that if you aren’t resolutely and unconditionally kind to yourself then you really are doing yourself no favours.

I think it’s a mindset that has become far more widely talked about and I wish I had learned to do it decades ago. 

As women we are natural caregivers and the ones that generally put others before ourselves. 

But I promise you will be a better Mother, daughter, partner and friend if you look after yourself first. 

Why Self-Care is Crucial as We Age..

As we get older and we don’t have the same amount of energy or brain cells (I’m blaming chemotherapy and menopause for that), we need to take extra care of ourselves. 

So whether you are an ADHD’er, or a Menopausal Mother, or just a Frazzled Female in need of  some serious self care, here are some things I live my life by as I’m navigating my way through my fifth decade on the planet.

Key Strategies for Effective Self-Care

The Power of Bullet Points for ADHD’ers

• Do not underestimate the importance of bullet points. We ADHD'ers may be able to read through a script faster than a Nutribullet because we have brains that work at lightning speed. But that doesn't mean we're computing everything that our eyes read. Hence why we zone out so quickly. Bullet points can make a world of difference. (There will be a lot of bullet points in this blog post)

  Exercise: Your Best Friend at Any Age

• Exercise really really is your best friend whatever age you are. And the younger you can implement some kind of routine that you love then the longer your body and brain will thank you for it. Any kind of exercise, but if you're outside even better. Walk, dance, do yoga, lift weights, get on a rowing machine, or run. But do something every single day. That's a non-negotiable for me if I want to keep any level of focus for a prolonged period of time and feel good about myself.. Exercise produces more natural dopamine than anything else, so take the free stuff. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

  Embrace the Bad Days

• Know that you're going to have bad days. Shutdown days. Duvet days. Netflix days. Days when you literally can't move through the brain fog. You're not broken or a failure or lazy. It just means your brain has tried too hard and your body needs to play catch up. If you can catch the burnout before it hits hard and stop early enough, then you'll thank yourself later.

  Prioritize Good Sleep

• Good sleep. SO IMPORTANT. We need at least 7 hours for our brains to have had enough rest time. 7 hours when there aren't 350 tabs open, and we're oblivious to what's going on around us. Ladies take your Magnesium supplements!! 

  Building a Supportive Community

• Find your Tribe.

  And this is super important. There are so many things in life that can make you feel like you're too much or not enough. It can be a very lonely experience if you are struggling with things,But there really are people out there who will give you unconditional love and support and accept you just as you are, without wanting to change a single thing about you. I've filled my life in the last year of my life with my tribe. Good friends, new friends, and my incredible children whose love for me never seems to waiver, no matter what. 

• Get Offline and Connect In-Person

  This next bit is so important and something I am going to talk about a lot at LLO. Get offline, and get in person! Find a ballet class and try something new. Join a book club. There are tons of groups on Facebook for women who want to meet new friends, share experiences and do things in person rather than just chatting online. (Why not join the LLO community, you never know who you will connect with).

  Embrace Your Unique Self

• Remind yourself regularly that you're not broken. You're not damaged, or lazy, or less than anyone else. You're a freaking meteor. Hurtling through space with an abundance of superpowers and awesomeness. You are uniquely unique, and there's no one else like you on the planet. So don't ever apologise for being you.

• Remember that it's going to take a shit load of hard work to get to where you want to be. But nothing that's worth having ever came easy.

Moving Forward with Self-Acceptance

As I move forward with more knowledge (Thank God for Google and podcasts, Instagram posts, and the Huberman Lab), I finally think that at the tender age of 52, I'm starting to know who I am. I’m still a daily work in progress, but I love myself so much more than I ever have before. 

I'm a multi-faceted diamond that's in the process of being polished to shine as brightly as I can. I'm a Japanese Kintsugi bowl that's been broken numerous times and glued back together with powdered gold. The Japanese believe that showing breakage and repair is part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. I love that philosophy.

So breathe deep, let go of everything that doesn’t serve you and is holding you back, and SHINE

Sarah x