Selfcare Emergency Meter: Preparatory Measures and Pick-Me-Up
Time Commitment: 5-10 minutes
I have loved to stretch ever since warm-up and cool-down stretching for cheerleading in high school. It helps me to reconnect to my body. How many of us live our lives straight from our brain? Some days I just power-through as a floating head, which no attention to my body except when I dress in the morning. Our bodies are amazing mechanisms with intelligence built-in all over! We cannot give our brains all the credit, in turn, forgetting about our bodies.
I am trying to get back into stretching. It's free, easy to do (it's not necessary to turn yourself into a pretzel), and the option is always with you because it's impossible to forget your body at home.
Procedure:
Sometimes I lack creativity. Thank goodness for YouTube :) I searched "guided stretching." Feel free to search and try many. Let me know what your favorite is!
I have attached the following video because it is thorough, yet short. My goal is to memorize the stretches, and complete the routine in the morning with fun music to wake myself up and help prepare for the day.
Why this is wonderful: Stretching reminds me that I'm a whole person, all by myself. Many times my days are spent meeting other peoples' needs (that is basically the definition of the mental health profession!). That is okay because it's what I love, but I am responsible for giving back to myself (as we all are!). Stretching brings my intention and consciousness back to my own body, giving appreciation to this wonderful mechanism that enables me to do the work I love. <3
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