The Lazy Genius Podcast - #157 - What Does It Mean to Take Care of Yourself?

Episode Date: May 11, 2020

If you’re stressed about all that’s going on, you might be sleeping less, not eating the same things because of apocalyptic grocery shopping, maybe you’re not able to read or run or get drinks with girlfriends, all things that normally make you feel really good on hard days. So yeah. I feel like it’s a good time to talk about what it means to take care of ourselves. Helpful Companion Links A few extra resources not mentioned specifically in the episode: The Lazy Genius Rests, The Daily Act of Kindness, and The Lazy Genius and Self-Care.  Download a transcript of this episode. This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every Olympic dream starts somewhere. At first, it's just potential. But over time with the right support and a few breakthroughs, it becomes something more. Make RBC Training Ground your breakthrough moment. Start your journey to Team Canada today at rBC trainingground.ca. The ride that steals the spotlight every time it hits the road, that's the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Its sleek exterior makes a first impression you can't ignore. Step inside to find available full leather seats and wood accents. Under the hood, the available 201 turbocharged horse power engine gives it a fun to drive edge. The refined Tiguan, you deserve more style. Visit vw.ca to learn more. SuvW, German engineered for all. Hi there, you're listening to the lazy genius podcast. I'm Kendra Adachi, and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter

and lazy about the things that don't. Today is episode 157. What does it mean to take care of yourself? obviously if you're listening to this in real time we are in a season of being stretched we're alone a lot more or a lot less depending on our living circumstances our schedules are strange we can't go anywhere we can't see people's faces because of masks just the other day i was getting groceries at aldi and somebody said hi to me and it took me a minute to realize it was my friend mark because all i could see were his eyes you guys we miss faces and if you're stressed about all that's

going on, you might be sleeping less, not eating the same things because of apocalyptic grocery shopping. Maybe you're not able to read or run or get drinks with girlfriends, all things that normally make you feel good on hard days. So yeah, I feel like it's a good time to talk about what it means to take care of ourselves. So let's just jump right in. What does it mean to take care of yourself. One way we can take care of ourselves right now is to not make this episode complicated. I'm not going to give you a dozen things to think about because we barely have time to brush our teeth right now. So here's what we're going to do. I want to share what I think are the two main questions to consider when you're trying to name what it means for you personally to take care

of yourself. The first question is, is this going to help me right now or help me later? And maybe another level of that question is, which do you need? Do you need to take care of your right now self or your later self? A way to take care of yourself right now is sleeping when your body needs to sleep. You need to take care of yourself in that way right now. Sleep can be put off for sure, but we're not taking good care of ourselves when we do that. Now, that's not a shaming thing. That's just an observation.

There are plenty of times that I'm tired, but I do. don't want to go to bed yet, or I can't because it's in the middle of the day. And my kids could wreak a good amount of havoc if they are left unattended for half an hour while I take a nap. But sleep is an example of a way to take care of yourself right now. When you feel tired, go to bed. What about taking care of your later self? What does that look like?

Maybe cleaning up the kitchen after lunch is a way to take care of your later self because you can enter into dinner time without walking into a room. of mess. Honestly, some things are a drag to do right now, but they really benefit you later and are a way that you can take care of yourself later. Okay, so some things are both. Going for a walk around the block, it takes care of your right now self and your later self. For right now, it calms you down, gives you some quiet, gets you in the fresh air, and immediately separates you from whatever stress you had. It changes how you feel in the moment. it can also be a way to take care of your later self, especially if it becomes a practice that you can look forward to and depend on.

Knowing that you're going to walk around the block alone every night after dinner becomes something sacred. It feels like a practice you as a person can benefit from in the long run. And even if you take a walk to take care of yourself right now, it still helps you later because you get a chance to release some of the stress that might have been building up and you're saving. later you from having a breakdown. But I think that pretty much every single choice that you make to take care of yourself falls into something that takes care of you right now or has the intention to help take care of you later. Now, why ask this question at all? Why ask if something is taking care of you right now or later? It connects to the second question, which is, how do I want to feel once I'm taken care of? How will this thing I'm doing affect or even

change how I feel. If you want to feel peaceful, if that's the thing you need to take care of yourself, you are best served if you make a peaceful choice. However, do you want to feel peaceful right now? Or are you creating a situation or environment where you're creating peace to experience later? Well, it depends on how desperate you are for the peace right now, I guess. But if you don't consider that question, you will likely make a decision that isn't really creating a chance or a space for you to take care of yourself in the way that you actually need to. It's not being named. An overused but still helpful example for this for me is being on my phone, particularly on social media. Okay, so part of my job is social media and I genuinely love being on Instagram. I really do.

However, it isn't always the thing I need to take care of myself, especially when my right now needs are pretty specific. So if I need to feel peaceful right now, like as soon as possible, but I don't name that, I will feel discontent and overwhelmed and I will reach for the closest distraction from that discontent and that overwhelm. Instagram. Now, does Instagram make me peaceful? Not really, especially when I'm already a little riled up, right? Instagram and I are the most healthy friends when we hang out when I'm like in a good place. If I, hang out with her, I mean, because Instagram's definitely female, if I hang out with her and I'm already whiny and distracted with my life, Instagram is only going to make me more whiny and

distracted. Not at all peaceful, which is what I need. Peace is what I want to experience and feel. So a way to take care of myself is to ask those two questions. Do I need to take care of myself right now or do something to take care of me later? Okay, right now. The answer is right now. And what do I want to feel after I've been taking care of? peace. Okay, then I need to choose something that will bring me peace right now. Now for me, nature and art bring me peace. So I'll go outside for a walk or just like sit on the porch, you know, if I can't leave the house. I might listen to music or read a story, you know, read a book, or engage some other kind of art that speaks to me. Now peace might come for you

in different ways, and it likely does because we're all different, but the naming is where we're all the same. You also might not need peace. That might not be what you need in that moment, what you want to feel in that moment. But the question is, do you need to take care of you right now, or do you need to do something to help take care of you later? And how do you want to feel once you're taken care of? And honestly, that's it. Now, I could give you lists of ways to take care of yourself. but I don't think you need another list of things to remember. You just need a little perspective. You need a new way to see.

We think that if we keep collecting tips and ideas from across the internet, that we will find what we're looking for. But you're still looking, right? And the reason you're still looking is because you're looking for the wrong thing. You don't need another thing to do. You need a freeing way to see. So I hope that you find this really simple exercise, just asking these two questions. They can help you figure out what it means for you to take care of yourself.

Only you can answer that. But these are two simple questions that can help you name it for yourself. And that's it for today. I know it's really simple. And it might not give you like the immediate satisfaction of having something to do. But you will be better served in the last. long run by starting the practice of asking these two questions, even in hindsight, you know, even if you do something and you were hoping that it would make you feel taken care of,

that you would feel more like yourself when it was over and you didn't. Just ask yourself why, you know, which of those two questions did you not answer and name in that moment? But I hope that this does leave you feeling encouraged, that this is something that can carry you through any kind of circumstance and life stage and all of that. These two questions will always exist and can always help you name what you need to take care of yourself right now. And I hope you feel free to do what you need without wondering if it's the right thing or that it has social proof or is what all your friends are doing. Because remember, being a lazy genius is being a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't to you. And that includes

taking care of yourself. So let go of what doesn't matter. Lean into what does. And I want you to feel the permission of asking yourself what you need and how you contend to yourself well right now and later and not feel weird about what the answer is. Thank you so much for listening and being here with me today. And until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra and I'll see you next week. Have you ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life, it's so dangerous to live that. More dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life, because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it.

You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming You. People think, okay, an A plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You wherever you get your podcasts.