The Next Year

I have big plans for the next year. The past one has been traumatizing. Between intensive work for too many hours per week for entirely too long, the traumatic and sudden loss of an important community and friends, the treatment I've seen my husband endure, this presidency, just... so much... I haven't taken care of myself in a way I deserve. I've always deserved better treatment than I've given myself. I've been in therapy for 9 years and while I've made great strides, I've never buckled down and allowed myself intensive treatment and comfort. Here's what I have figured out so far for the next year:

I will continue my severe cut in emotional labor. There can be precious few exceptions as previously outlined when I started this, and I am allowed to make mistakes.

I will focus on my health with regular exercise and fueling my body instead of harming my body. I will also take my supplements as recommended by my surgeon.

I will keep reasonable hours at work and not give in to accommodating outside of set parameters. I will not over-function for my clients.

I will engage in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy and finally integrate my trauma, and then I will continue with a recommended course of talk therapy. I will also take my medications as prescribed (piece of cake).

I will attend meditation class as scheduled, ideally every week. I will also integrate practices like reiki as available.

I will journal or write consistently (not blog, that's more an occasional thing).

I will regularly engage in my favorite self-care: my beauty rituals.

I will spend more time with the people I love.

I will have more conversations with the people I miss.

I will take more time to myself and away from all of the noise, and do this regularly.

I will start to read again.

I will get to bed at a consistent time, and wake up at a consistent time.

Yeah, that's about all I have now. It's going to be a good year. I'm ready.