How do YOU Commit to a Better You?

Author: Dr. Blair Green PT, DPT, OCS, PHC

Every Sunday morning I take out my planner and organize my week (yes, I still use a paper planner). I set my business and personal goals for the week - what do I want to accomplish? I plan my workouts, my social events, any meetings or obligations for the kids, and of course work. 

I know, you’re thinking: “Wow! She really has it together. I could never do that!”

Here’s the thing - most weeks I don’t get all of it done. However, the process of taking time each week to set my intentions and carve out a schedule makes it less overwhelming. I have learned over the last 2 years that without that schedule it is easy to get sidetracked, or let work take over, and come home on Friday afternoon frazzled, fried, and frustrated that my to do list never got done. And moreover, I didn’t sleep, I ate too many frozen pizza dinners and my Pilates membership went unused that week.  

In the book Burnout, Emily and Amelia Nagoski describe wellness as an action. We choose wellness and work on it daily. Self care is not a treat, like a massage or pedicure, but rather it’s essential. Whether it’s committing to exercise, or breathing, or reading a book for an hour, it’s a choice we make every day that allows us to become a better version of ourselves. 

When we don’t choose wellness, we become susceptible to stress, which can lead to pain and injury. As women, and especially as moms, it’s easy to get swept up in the day-to-day, and take care of what appears to be necessary without taking the time to consider our own needs. Many of the women we treat at Catalyst describe situations where they are so consumed by others’ needs that they are unable to choose wellness for themselves. As we work through their pain and injuries, it is clear that they must make other changes to allow themselves to heal fully. 

For some, it’s creating space each day to be alone. For others, it’s taking time to move their bodies daily. Just as for me, it is having a plan, where I can be sure to schedule in what I need for myself, as well as my family and my business. 

The beauty of self-care is that it looks different for everyone. It is custom curated to fit each person’s individual needs. There is not one correct way to engage in self-care. The only criteria is that it is designed to fill the so-called empty cup and keep it full. What I cannot stress enough is that without this consistent action, the cycle of stress, pain and injury will continue indefinitely as the body struggles to meet its full healing capacity and potential to thrive.

What do you do each day or week to engage in self-care? Is this something you struggle with? Is an injury, pain or other physical limitation keeping you from becoming a better version of yourself? Click here to schedule a PT assessment and discover how you can work through your physical limitations while simultaneously becoming a better YOU.