“Self Care”
That phrase gets thrown around a lot. I mean A LOT. I’ve used it in my side hustle for almost 20 years in some form. Sometimes we called it “pampering” or “home spa time,” but the connotation was the same. As I’ve gotten older, “self care” has expanded from just surface level skin care to considering aspects such as gut health (a definite work in progress given I had Burger King for dinner), moving more, getting more than an adequate amount of sleep, and making sure that I drink a minimum of 64 to 80 ounces of water per day (also a constant work in progress because I LOVE COFFEE AND TEA). But what about my brain? Obviously, it benefits from non-interrupted sleep, water, diet, and physical activity, but what about doing things specifically for your brain? And I’m not talking about all of those apps that use buzz words like “Brain Age” and “Brain Health.” What am I actually doing to help my brain?
Some of the answers are obvious. I read, and I write. I try to do one of those daily just because they bring me immense joy. I am also a BIG learner. Seriously, I have always joked that you would know I won the Powerball if I just kept going to school over and over. Since being a perma-college student is not affordable, I take a variety of free online courses about various topics. Keeps me thinking! Plus, learning is a great way to work the brain. Trust me, you can teach an old dog (LilKsby thinks me and Mr Kisby are ancient) new tricks! Bonus, I enjoy teaching said tricks to other people which has been shown to help with brain health as well. I also enjoy playing games (and not just on the phone), putting together jigsaw puzzles, and listening to music. Binaural beats have become one of my jams along with my extensive playlist. As it turns out, I do quite a bit for my brain including giving it down time to pray and slow down.
What about you? Do you have a routine to provide your brain with some TLC?
XOXO,
The Great Kaysby
