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Self Care Ideas! OK, so the way I see self care as I get older is not just about taking time out to relax, it's also about putting the time in and learning more about myself. For the past 18 years I have put my children first, second and third. I'm quite lucky as I have had a major hobby (fitness) that I was not willing to give up during this time and it's got me through a lot of stressful times. It's been my release, it's been my time away from the kids, it's been my "me time" and it's been my social time. But equally, I've spent the rest of the 23 hours of the day worrying, organising and generally putting everyone else before me. So I see this peri menopausal time as a time to get ME back and to do some work on me. So as well as having guilt free time away from the family, I'm also using this time to learn more about me, about how my body works and how my mind works. I love educating myself, but educating myself about ME is even better. MINDSET Recently I've been reading a lot about mindset and it's really opened my mind (literally!) not only about how I react to certain situations, but how others do too. It's also taught me how positive thoughts and actions can simply create more positivity in your life. And how negativity just festers and creates more black thoughts and negativity. I've started to pick up quicker on negative people (I call them dementors - Harry Potter - they suck all the colour out of life!), negative situations, negative energy and have started to move away from them. I used to hold negative conversations in my head for weeks, putting other peoples negativity on me, but now I process it, put it back into it's box (it's their issue not mine) and I move on. And I can honestly say I feel so much better for it. I'm nearly 50 and I don't have time to waste, especially on people who drag me down!! I no longer waste my energy on negativity and negative people. You may see that as selfish, but I see that as - it's good for my mental health and it's me putting in some self care. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Try it!
I think this peri menopausal time is a fantastic time for reflection, to take a step back and look on things differently. Have you found yourself doing this recently? You may see me sharing more information about mindset and how it can really change your life, in future posts, so keep an eye out on the blog! Sign up to my email list to stay updated https://www.alibenyonpilates.co.uk/blank-page-3