I wrote this article for the magazine Psychologie.cz, so I’m sharing it here too 🙂
And here is the link to the original Czech text: https://psychologie.cz/v-rovnovaze/
In Balance
I was happy to write about how I take care of myself. We people have our duties and follow some rules. But I also feel it’s important to have safe moments when we let go of control. Moments when we don’t worry about how things look, don’t judge ourselves, and no one judges us.
I am a busy woman. I divide my attention between two school-age children, my partner, therapy work, house chores, friends, learning, culture, and more. Still, every day I give myself some quiet time alone to think deeply.
I know I am always balancing. Waves of emotions, energy levels, body needs, activities, and social time. I give myself space to feel and listen to myself. Being aware of myself is the base of my self-care. I notice what my body and mind need and try to give it to them as much as I can. So, I take care of myself mostly in the moment, not by strict plans.
Many of my daily activities are self-care, even if I don’t name them that way. These are simple, easy things. When I try to find balance, I fill my reserves, feed myself well, and get rid of what I don’t need or what harms me.
What fills my inner reserves
A simple thing: when I feel tired during the day, I don’t fight it. I lie down, sometimes sleep for a short time, and then I feel better. Walking is my daily food. Sometimes I sit on a bench and look at the trees. A few minutes in the present, noticing myself, sounds, smells, and the world around me.
These moments are not long, but very nourishing. Hugging my children or partner is a big and frequent joy for me. These are moments when everything is okay, full of love and acceptance without words.
Yoga is wonderful. It has been with me for over twenty years. It is a healing and wise guide. I practice almost every day – sometimes just a little stretching, other times two hours of exercise. I flow through the poses and end with good relaxation. When the weather is nice, I take my mat and go practice in the park under the trees. These are the moments when I feel most filled.
I often feel moments of happiness. Like when flowers smell sweet, birds sing. When I see an interesting detail, shape, or color mix in city buildings. Or when I ride my bike through beautiful nature. I notice these happy moments, let them flow through me, enjoy them, remember them, and I am grateful for them. Feeling grateful is nourishing on its own.
What I need to let go of for inner calm
I felt the need to reduce work, so I lowered the number of therapy sessions per day. I found a pace that suits me now. One that gives me time for myself, to rest, and I allow longer breaks between clients. I know energy and a clear mind are important, even if it means less money right now.
I deleted my social media account. It feels freeing. I don’t get news about many events anymore, but I still live a rich life.
I also try to keep some distance from the pain, tragedies, and injustices in the world. I know news can eat me up inside, so I try to control how much news I watch.
Being in touch with myself
In therapy, I ask clients to notice the connection between emotions and body signals. I do the same with myself. If I feel bad physically or mentally, I stop. I notice what is happening inside me, where in my body it is, how it wants to show itself, and what it means. This looking inside is helpful and can lead to action.
If possible, I follow the impulse. For example, if I feel tension in my hands, I focus on them. I might feel some anger that wants to come out, and the impulse could be to hit something. So I hit a pillow. Sometimes a sound or a relieving word comes with it. I don’t try to stop the impulse; I let it pass.
At the same time, I notice how the feeling changes. Maybe the anger turns to sadness, and I need to cry. I keep feeling what is in my body, how I feel. Maybe relief is coming. Often I know what it is about. Sometimes I don’t, I just feel the body or emotion and let it out. Sometimes I become aware of the meaning, but it’s not necessary.
Yoga helps me let go too. People who practice yoga or other mindful movement know emotions can release during it. I allow myself to watch these emotions and sometimes release them during yoga poses, movements, faces, breathing, or sounds. I don’t do this on purpose or plan it; I only follow the impulse if it comes naturally.
I know we can’t do this all the time. But I think this time without control or judgment is very useful and healing. We don’t hurt anyone or scare anyone because we are alone. I believe this also helps stop emotions from building up or overflowing and making life hard. This is one way to keep harmony and inner peace in life.