[02:15] In our current situation, I find it very challenging to focus and keep my mind going in one direction while being pulled in many different directions. Constant distractions are to be expected now that your kids are around and there’s so much that needs to be accomplished. But as the cliche goes, you need to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you can put it on your children. In other words, you need to take care of yourself first to be able to take care of your kids. 

[04:23] I hear the idea of making time for self-care thrown around all the time. I am one of those parents who actually has to work on and make space for that. And I know many parents out there are just like me, particularly those who have a lot of children who are still young and have very demanding needs. This makes allocating time for ourselves not just important, but essential if we want to show up for our children the way they need us to show up for them. 

[5:08] How do we do it then? How do we support ourselves so we can best support our children? And how can we model a healthy self-care routine for your kids? Ultimately, you have to make it a priority because self-care is what helps us remain resilient and regulate our emotions. When looking for inspiration for self-care activities, I also thought about things that bring me a lot of joy and a lot of calming energy. I quickly realized that the answer to how to practice self-care could be found in the elements: earth, water, earth, and fire. Today, those elements will be my focus.

[6:54] Hopefully, today's topic will resonate with people like me who don't have a great self-care routine already in place or who don’t really know how to practice self-care in a way that works for them.

[07:06] The first element we’re going to talk about is earth. Earth pertains to nature so the activities that can be associated with it include being outside, looking at nature in your backyard, or taking a walk in the outdoors. If you have access to a natural space, you can also kick off your shoes and place your feet on the ground, grass, sand, or basically, earth itself. You may find this to be a helpful piece of your self-care puzzle. 

[08:05] Water, which is our second element, is huge for me. I get a lot of my energy coming from it. That’s why I love to take baths, sit in hot tubs, swim, or just look at water every chance I get. I can’t tell you how often I just gaze out at the water and find it incredibly calming for me. Of course, drinking lots of water is also very important as our body is primarily made up of it. Anything that has to do with water that is relaxing for you, put that into your self-care mix. 

[08:55] The third element, air, is associated with breathing which is a big part of our activities such as yoga and meditation that is incredibly regulating. This is also where exercise comes in, if you move your body well enough to increase your oxygen consumption, you’re taking in more air. Getting access to more of it in terms of exercise and taking those walks to the next level can help with your self-care goals. 

[10:58] When you’re looking at a fire in a fireplace or a campfire, what do you do? The fourth element, fire, can make you go into a trance-like state. Fire is so incredibly mesmerizing that it has a calming effect. Whether it’s in a fireplace or on candles, looking at those fires can be really helpful. In fact, my favorite thing to do right now is to bask in the sun while slathered in SPF.      

[12:59] There are tons of things that you can do to practice self-care - you just need to look inside yourself and figure out what things will help you feel calm and restorative. And if you don’t have anything that’s working for you very well right now, taking a cue from the elements will help.