The Three Best Things I Did for Myself Last Year

The older I get the more I realize the need to invest in and take care of myself.  I'm super high energy and can multitask like you wouldn't believe, so I've always had a million things going at once.  I had four children while in my 20's, which meant by necessity, I was always fast-moving and on the go simply because they were.  It was easy to forget about taking care of my needs because I was constantly caring for four small people who needed me to do everything for them.  Life could sometimes be crazy, and my personal health and development often took a backseat.  But now that I'm 30 (gasp! I know, still not really that old, but some days it feels like it), I am realizing how being intentional about caring for myself is SO important.

And so this past year, I really worked at taking care of myself.  I am shocked at how much better I feel now that I take care of myself as a priority, not just an afterthought.

Here are the three best things I did for myself this past year:

1.  I "Hired" a concierge doctor.  When you straight from your pediatrician at age 18 to an OBGYN at 21 (never had a doctor in between), and then have babies and nurse for seven years straight, you tend to forget that you need a regular doctor.  When things would pop up, I'd hit up the good ol' internet to let me know if I was dying.  If not, I'd ride it out.  At some point it dawned on me that I really should have a regular doctor who is looking after my healthcare needs...I do after all have small children and I'd like to be around for them for a long time!  And so I bit the bullet and got myself the most amazing concierge doctor EVER.  Seriously.  I tell everyone about him.  He knows all about my health, is available by text (usually within minutes), and is great about informing me that many things are not a huge deal, and that I'm not in fact dying.  Knowing I have someone who is keeping up on my health, regular tests, issues, etc. has given me great peace of mind.

2.  I found a new sport.  I have had a gym membership for a long time, but it was awfully boring.  I loved swimming but hated that I couldn't multitask, so I usually ended up on the treadmill so I could read books at the same time.  Still, it was boring, so I didn't make much progress.  BUT, then I discovered a new love in martial arts.  I fell in love with learning something new, have been developing these super cool things called muscles, and even lost about 14 pounds when I first started. I am slightly obsessive when it comes to things like this, so I go often and try to soak up every possible thing that I can while there.  This is totally for me, though again, it does have an affect on my children.  A by product has been new friends-and we all know us extroverts are always looking for more friends!

3.  I learned Konmari and allowed myself to be a minimalist.   For years I struggled with feeling bad for getting rid of stuff or for not feeling sentimental over getting rid of things others would save or for not having lots of clothing in my wardrobe.  And then I discovered Konmari, which led to me discovering how freeing it is to just let things go and keep my house as clutter free as possible.  It also led to me finally figuring out that I actually LIKE having a small, super simple wardrobe, and that this was perfectly fine for me.  Truly, reading this book changed my life.  I now Konmari areas of our home quite frequently (where the heck does all this stuff come from? I'm constantly dropping off donation bags), and I stick to a capsule wardrobe of just basic pieces that I love and can mix and match.  It's simple and I love it.

(Runners up would be that I said "no" to a ton of homeschool things this year...whoever thinks that homeschoolers are not "socialized" is sorely mistaken.  We often do WAY too many social type things, that I spent time upgrading my home (this is something Ben & I both love and do together), and that I went on way more dates with my husband.)

Between these three things, I feel like a new person.  These three things have helped me better care for my over all health, given me something new to strive for and learn, and saved my mental sanity.  I am learning to better care for myself and make me a priority.