Self-care has recently become a buzzword used to describe things from taking a bubble bath to improving your spending habits. There are messages all around us that encourage “self-care” and the infinite ways we could and should be taking care of ourselves. Self-care to the max
When I was first beginning my recovery journey after experiencing bipolar symptoms, I tried to do as many self-care practices as I could fit in a day. I woke up at 5 a.m., started my yoga practice, then meditated for 30 minutes, then journaled for 30 minutes, then read a book for 30 minutes, then went on a 3-mile run, and then did 30 minutes of strength-training exercises.
By the time I finished all of these, it was already time for lunch. While I was proud of myself, I was also exhausted. I knew this wouldn’t be sustainable once I started working full-time again. I was desperate to not struggle with my bipolar symptoms, but also needed a more simple way to do “self-care.”
The ONE THING
Recently, I’ve been reading the book, "The ONE THING" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. In the book, the authors talk about how “extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.” The question they encourage you to ask yourself is: “What's the one thing I can do, such that by doing it everything else is easier or unnecessary?”
I realized that this could be applied to every area of my life and, suddenly, self-care didn’t seem so daunting anymore. When I looked at my morning routine, I asked myself, “What is the ONE THING in this long list of things that has the most positive impact on my day?”
I realized that because I am neurodivergent and have bipolar disorder, cardiovascular activity was the most helpful for my mental health so I could feel balanced and focused. I decided to make running my ONE THING that would help start my day. I quickly realized that this meant yoga or stretching would become necessary so I wouldn’t be walking around like the Tin Man all day. So this supplemented my ONE THING, but all the other activities from my morning routine are now things I do when I have time and feel they would support me.
I decided to use this method for other aspects of my life:
My ONE THING for my spiritual health: Attend services at the Unitarian Universalist Church down the street every Sunday at 10 a.m.
My ONE THING for my social health: Call one friend once per week while going for a walk after work.
My ONE THING for my financial health: Wait 24 hours before making a big purchase.
What’s your ONE THING?
Our modern world pulls our attention in so many directions. It can be so grounding to just focus on ONE THING.
When you think about your own self-care practices, is there anything that stands out to you as the most beneficial? Maybe it’s your reiki practice, walking your dog, your morning coffee, volunteering with your favorite organization, or decluttering your home.
These activities will be fun-sized, manageable, and sustainable. Choose something you know you can do over and over again without getting burnt out. Celebrate yourself when you do these activities, no matter how small they may seem! Self-care happens in these mini, intentional actions and their benefits compound over time.
Everyone’s ONE THING will be different. But figuring out which self-care practice might be most impactful in different areas of your life can help simplify the process and create more peace in your life.
