Attention to Health Care

Monday is my day to reset for the week and

 get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

Since I'm out-of-town, I'll focus on health care today. And because I'm in the yin time of the waxing crescent moon, I'll take time to discern and create clarity. 

Agenda:

1. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning"

2. My health care priorities

3. Depth of purpose rituals

4. Create clarity

1. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning":

I got this little book by KC Davis (2020) from the library a couple of years ago and thought I'd like to review it this month. Her philosophy is "You don't exist to serve your space; your space exists to serve you. ... There is a big difference between being on a journey of worthiness and being on a journey of care."

Chapter 12 is Gentle skill building: Setting functional priorities. She introduces the 9 square tool for prioritizing any area you have trouble fitting in or having energy for: 

1. Make a list of 9 parts that are important.
2. Draw a 3 x 3 grid with high to low impact on the side and high to low effort on the bottom.
3. Fill in the graph and use it to determine your priorities, and figure out how to do the most benefit with the least energy on bad days.

The thing is, when I'm really stressed out, I tend to double down on things like hygiene and what clothes I wear, and the higher benefit things like exercise and diet fall by the wayside. She suggests I practice saying, "I've deprioritized my clothing so I can cook better meals right now."

2. My health care priorities:

My top tier health-care tasks are drinking water, exercising, and my diet. I've got pretty good habit scripts in place now for water and exercise - I'm arriving at them pretty consistently.

My diet needs to be a priority in the next month. I could make a 9-square just for diet, and the top row would be vegetables, healthy snacks, and N-R-G drinks. Some tasks:

• Find some new good veggie recipes.
• Prioritize the veggies I grow.
• Make a weekly snack plan, including healthy baking.
• Buy more E-mergen-C.
• Plan meals and shop.
• Prepare snack servings.  

3. Depth of purpose rituals: 

One of my goals this week is to plan some practices that will anchor everyday actions to my core values. In the case of health care tasks, the values that apply are:

• Integrity: Be honest and whole, and choose actions and words that align me with my highest self, with that of God within me, and with who I truly am at my core. 
• Love: Practice habits of listening, generosity, patience, care, and kindness with my community, my family, myself, and the earth.

So, how do I link integrity and self-love to my health-care practices, without making them onerous or fraught? Some thoughts:

-A mantra, such as, "Healthy meals = Love and Integrity".

-Set "Morning Intentions", affirming how I want to show up.
-Practice "Mindful Decision-Making": Before responding to stress with stress eating, pause to ask: "Does this choice align with my core values?"

-Review and Adjust: Reflect weekly on what’s working, what isn’t, and how to better align my actions with my values.

3. Create clarity:

Every month in the yin time of the waxing crescent moon, I look at my level of clarity. A lack of clarity causes stress, inaction, a scattered focus, relationship difficulties, and confusion for my teams. Clarity helps me to focus, to take action, to feel energized.

Today I will think about areas I might need to find clarity in:

• My mission in life
• My current priorities
• My health goals
• My responsibilities and self-expectations
• My morning routine
• My financial plan
• My relationships

Journal: Three things seem unclear - 

Why do I always feel so annoyed and angry?

What will inspire me to make art? 

How will I ever simplify my belongings?

Since my month theme is depth, I'm looking to discern my Truth. Discernment: Think before acting; listen within deeply, and seek clarity; make wise choices, with an open mind. 

So the next step is to sit with these three thoughts and brainstorm a way forward.