Gently Parenting OURselves

"Adulting" can be self-care, too!

I spent a lot of time this past week doing some very unglamorous "adulting." You know, the fun stuff like bills, scheduling appointments, and reading the fine print of insurance policies 😅. It wasn’t exactly enthralling work, but honestly, you wouldn’t know that with how giddy I was to have taken care of items on my to-do list and of myself. 

I had to laugh because I guess I was so proud of how grown-up I was feeling that I promptly picked up the phone to call my mom and dad 🤣! But seriously, what an amazing blessing to be able to do that and tap into their combined guidance, experience, wisdom, and love.

While I’m beyond lucky to have had parental support through childhood and still today, we all know that being responsible for taking good care of ourselves as adults can be an exhausting, inescapable fact of life. "Parenting" ourselves can be one of the biggest challenges we face, but it is also a major contributor to our wellness.

It is so easy to default to a style of internal parenting that is demanding and  highly critical. Of course, it’s a common experience to grow up with strict expectations, and when we apply that same intense pressure to ourselves as adults, our confidence and sense of thriving really takes a hit.

Instead, what if we focused on gentle parenting? This means caring for ourselves as a supportive and compassionate figure would — one who is attuned to our own needs and prioritizes our health and growth through our choices and routines.

Sometimes it looks like doing the non-fun responsible stuff. It might be mundane daily tasks like putting ourselves to bed earlier, or making the effort to take ourselves to a workout class, just like my parents made the effort to drive me to my childhood dance classes. Other times, it can look like making time for play, creativity, or friends. And especially when we get sidelined or are struggling, it looks like speaking to ourselves with compassion and patient encouragement.

As we close out our month of Gentle Self-Care, I invite you to look at how you are parenting yourself.

Whether you are tackling a daunting list of adult responsibilities, or trying to give yourself  permission to rest and recover,  are you treating yourself with the love and support of a gentle parent?

Whatever you are navigating this week, I hope you give yourself exactly what you need with kindness.

If what you need is a dedicated hour for play and joyful movement, I would love to see that inner child in a Zumba class this week!

Keep moving!

xx,

Katie