Right Now is the Best Time to Start

Let’s talk about starting, or restarting, a self care and/or movement routine.

I came across this photo of a keychain I had made at the beginning of my #lipedema journey. 

It was a reminder, that while initially I listened to nothing I could do, and as a result I progressed a great deal, losing nearly all my mobility, that today was a new day. 

Any day, any moment, can be a new start. It doesn’t have to be this big commitment. Just doing one thing is a good start.

Maybe you have not been able to keep up on your self care and/or movement routine like you would like to, and you don’t know where to begin? 

Maybe you ask yourself, “why bother”? 

Because you are worth it. Caring for our bodies is worth it, and while not a cure, it helps slow progression and makes living with lipedema a lot easier.

Starting over is not a failure. 

Starting over doesn’t mean you go all the way back to where you began, because the good news is, you always start from experience.

You know what helped, and what did not. You know what worked for your routine and what was a challenge for you.

Start with something simple, something that you enjoy, something you can tack onto your daily routine.

#habitstacking is how I do it. I add self care and movement to something I already do.

Like when I make the bed in the morning, I add in some stretching to loosen up my body. 

When I check in on the support group in the morning and write the daily post, I do so from my vibration platform.

When I have a print job at work, I add some squats while I wait, or when I go into the kitchen, I do some kitchen sink push-ups while my coffee brews.

By adding in my self care and movement this way it doesn’t feel as time consuming.

I also like to schedule a #peloton ride when I’m not as active as I want to be, by scheduling it I set time aside for me, like I would another apt. 

It is what works for me, what works for you? How can we help you start or restart your self care routine? And what ideas do you have for when we get stuck?

No negative feelings attached. Life in general is challenging, living with a #chronicillness that requires a lot of self care makes it even more challenging.