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The theme this week has been one of balance for both body mind and soul. I’ve been reflecting on this because after my first book launch (which was amazing!) last weekend I lost a sense of balance this week, with some personal and health challenges.
The concept of balance has always been elusive to me, and even more so now I’m a mother, with less time for self-care and for making life ‘perfectly balanced.’
I’ve become comfortable with the fact that it is actually not normal to have everything balanced (life is a hot mess some days with a 4 year old who is often unpredictable), and that’s okay.
No matter what your life looks like, cultivating awareness and asking yourself what you truly need to feel your best and thrive each day is important. This self-enquiry (which I encourage strongly in New Graduate’s Guide to Physiotherapy) holds the key to finding an alternative to the concept of balance.
In my opinion, the alternative approach starts with simply being curious about what you need in the moment.
It’s about knowing what makes you feel good, what makes you feel alive.
Because that’s where the gold is.
When we take time to cultivate self-awareness it naturally leads to better self-care, because we find ourselves no longer able to tolerate certain behaviours / environments and so we either need to change ourselves, or change the environment.
Self-awareness asks – what do I need right now?
Is it more movement?
A nap?
A nourishing meal?
To laugh or dance or shake that mood out?
To meditate or pause to breathe (see pic – perhaps not in your clinic room, but if so then go with that!?)
Or perhaps it’s human connection.
To be touched, heard or understood.
To receive love or give love away….
A simple practice I adore and teach in workshops is to make 2 lists.
1. What lights you up?
2. What brings you down?
Each day simply choose a few things from the high vibe list and make them count. (Tip – keep the lists where you can see them.)
If you find yourself slipping into a spiral of the things that bring you down, you can witness those behaviours in yourself, recalibrate and (gently) return to the high vibe actions when you feel able.
“Because when we take good care of ourselves, we can be of greatest service to others.”– Elizabeth Santos
#newbook #selfcareforhealthprofessionals #newgraduatephysiotherapists
Elizabeth is a Physiotherapist, Naturopath and Author who lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband and little boy. When she is not working and writing you will find her adventuring in the hills with family and friends.
This blog post contains excerpts from Elizabeth’s first book ‘The New Graduates Guide to Physiotherapy’– Available late September!
Click here to keep updated with book news. Please share with friends, family and colleagues you feel will benefit from this information! Thank you, in gratitude.
>>>>> For Australian orders purchase here at the pre-launch price
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Please leave a comment below if you felt inspired by this post. xx
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