In my first self-care article, I talked about our Table of Health. Is your Table of Health piled high with clutter and habits you would like to change, or is it beautifully clear? – maybe simple bare wood, or maybe with an exquisite damask tablecloth, or pretty chintz placemats . . .
I think having moments of Joy is so important – whatever that means to you, and these will be different for each of us.
Recently I started something that I have thought of doing for a long time – what is known as a Gratitude Jar.
Well, in my case it’s a tin – from my trip to Norway in 2014, when I bought a tin of walnut pieces to snack on. That tin has been sitting on a high shelf in my larder patiently waiting for me to decide what to do with it – and on my birthday recently, it came to me – this could be my Gratitude Tin.
So every day I write on a small piece of paper a little something, or maybe several somethings, that happened that day to make it memorable, in a good way! eg the colours in Epping Forest last weekend; the pleasure of taking some close up photographs.
A friend told me last week that on Saturdays she always buys fresh flowers to have in the house – a small treat to herself.
Seeing a wren in the hedge of my front garden, or the blue flash of a jay’s wing while I am out on a walk.
Taking the time to really listen to some music, rather than simply having it on in the background.
The satisfaction of ticking off jobs on my To-Do List, so that it can become a Ta-Da List 😊
Seeing my study looking tidy, rather than cluttered.
The smell of spring rain.
The touch of my velvet throw.
The taste of a good single malt whisky, or a glass of chilled Viognier.
Those moments when we can see the rays of the sun shining through the clouds. When I was a little girl I used to think – ooh, there’s God!
Even on grey days, or days filled with pain or frustration, there can nevertheless be small pleasures that we can savour in the moment – I still remember years ago once seeing a tiny wild flower, a heartsease, growing in the crack of a pavement in a dingy council estate shopping precinct.
This week I have been taking part in a play about Thomas Tallis, the Tudor church music composer, and so my time has been filled with singing his glorious music, as well as acting every night – that is certainly filling my Joy Well 😊
Self-Care is not just about the habits and things that we do TO ourselves and our bodies, it’s also about what we do FOR our inner selves, to fill up our senses – giving ourselves the Time to savour these small moments in our everyday lives, where the ordinary can be uplifted.
When I listen to my patients and their struggles with their pain, it is always lovely to hear of their joyful moments as well. And for those patients who are struggling more, this is a topic that, when appropriate, can lead to some wonderfully insightful conversations, that can in turn lead to real change in their lives.
What gives you Joy? What are you going to place on Your Table of Health?
If you live or work in or near Baldock in North Hertfordshire, or Bromley in South East London, and would like to have a chat about how my kind of thoughtful osteopathy might be able to help you, then do get in touch: text me or call me on 07535 350 343. I may be with a patient, so a text is best, and I can call you back.