Stir Up Some Mischief

I’m a magical creature so I tend to think of routines as rituals because the way you think and speak about things matters. If you think of the time you spend for yourself as a ritual of self-care, it’s more powerful than a checklist of things you “should” be doing.

This leads me to another point. I’ve seen a lot of talk about how taking a shower and eating food that is good for your body isn’t self-care or self-love but I don’t agree. 

Self-care isn’t shopping or taking a spa day or laying in bed because you can’t stand to People anymore. It’s what you do on a regular basis to care for yourself in a meaningful way.

And let’s be clear, far too many people put those things that are ‘just for them’ on the back burner and end up not caring for themself at anything more than a basic level.

I’m going to go over three rituals I have built into my life, briefly. In later episodes, I may come back to them individually to give you some more ideas because I’d love for you to have all the resources you need to begin treating yourself with all the love and care that you give to everyone else.

Morning Ritual

Think of your morning ritual as a way to connect with yourself and do something just for you before you start doing it for all of the other people in your life. I get up two hours before I have to do anything for anyone else just so I have time to eat food that will fuel me and make my body feel good. I mean I do other things too, but it started with breakfast.

Yup, eating food counts as self-care. Especially if you’re not already doing it. If you’re currently managing to grab a candy bar or caffeinated beverage, then think about what it would take to make your morning breakfast something that delighted you and was truly nourishing for your body. I have the exact same thing almost every single morning because it makes me happy and means I don’t have to think about food again for twelve hours. It was a game-changer.

That’s where I want you to start, not necessarily with food. Just pick one thing you can do for yourself every single morning that would make you feel cared for, then schedule it and do it EVERY day. Don’t get crazy and make it something that’s going to take longer than you’ll follow through with and don’t get judgy about the what and the how. 

Seriously,  just level up one little level at a time so it’s not overwhelming - this advice applies to all the following rituals as well.

Evening Ritual

Once you’ve made it through your day and you’re ready to collapse in front of a TV or phone for some mindless anything, it’s time to activate your evening ritual.

I know zoning out can feel like self-care but none of the studies I’ve ever seen indicate it’s actually a way to care for yourself.

So, pick something that is. It can be something tiny. One of my favorite evening ritual components currently is a hot cup of apple cider when I’m winding down.

Maybe yours is a hot bubble bath, fifteen minutes of yin yoga, journaling, or a long walk with your puppy while you listen to music. Just pick one thing and do it every night because caring for yourself should receive equal priority to - well, really anything.

Daily Rituals

Alright, I have one more category of rituals to tell you about that’s a little different. I have daily rituals - which are things I only do on certain days of the week. I’ll break this down for you in a dedicated episode because it’s based on planetary days, but I’m going to give you an example now.

There are some things that I want to do for myself but that I don’t routinely make part of my life if I don’t have a system set up. Things like a manicure, or a bubble bath, or deep-conditioning your hair, or spending time in nature, or talking on the phone with a friend are examples.

Think of the slightly longer activity that you wish you “had time for”’ but never get around to doing and do them once a week.

Let’s use connecting with friends as an example. Most people have friends and family they wish they talked to more but they never get around to doing it because life gets in the way. Wednesday is Mercury’s day and he’s a god of communication. So for the purposes of this example, let’s say on Wednesday at 7 pm, you call a friend or family member and talk for half an hour. You can rotate through them and at the end of the year you’ll have spent a full day connecting with the people who are most important to you. Crazy, right?

Now that you have an idea of how to get started upping your self-care game, let’s talk music.

Music Time

If you know me, you know I love Rising Appalachia. They have a new album out and you should all go listen. The music for today is Catalyst.

From the song:

Come, come be a catalyst

Come, come be an alchemist

Come change the system

Come stir up some wisdom

Come, stir up some mischief

There is wisdom you can only find when you slow down long enough to care for yourself and it also feels a little mischievous to do something just for you. Trust me. 

So tell me... 

What rituals could you create that would make you feel truly cared for? What obstacles do you think might stand in your way? What can you do to ensure you treat yourself with as much love and care by honoring your rituals as you would in honoring your commitments to someone you loved deeply?

Spend time with these questions and see what comes up. If you’re feeling frisky, hit me up on Instagram and share your answers with me.

Until next time, my wish for you is that you find a willingness to stir up some mischief and find the inner wisdom that the creation and implementation of rituals can offer.

Podcast Theme Music

License:  Rustic Ballad by Alexander Nakarada