Doing. Challenging. Things.
#5 out of 6 on Self-Care for 2025
Earth: Courageous boundaries, doing challenging things
This is one of the most important parts of true self-care: moving past resistance, procrastination, and fear to COMPLETE HARD THINGS!
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This is the “true-self-care-is-not-bubble-baths-and-vacations-to-tropical-places” section!
In order to embody true self-care we must get more comfy doing the things we don't want to do:
Having the hard conversations
Doing the scary next step
Being uncomfortable and resistant and doing it anyway
Again, we start with an exploration: when you avoid doing the hard things, how do you feel? When you procrastinate taking the next step on your dream, or don't make the boundary, or continue to avoid, avoid, avoid... how do you end up feeling?
As I shared in last week article on self-care and maintenance, there are consequences.
When we understand the slow energy drain and ways that we can detach from our bodies and our lives when we avoid the hard things, we have more motivation to take action.
This week's article is going to be short and to the point.
You are braver than you know. You are powerful. You are supported.
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1. Turn toward the hard thing you have been avoiding
Can you turn it into smaller chunks?
If yes: make a list, or maybe just your next step
2. Don't think
Set aside doing it right or wrong
Imagine you are rooted into the earth.
Feel the earth as a solid foundation beneath you
3. Take. The. Action.
If you don't take the action: are you thinking too much?
Stop that.
Breathe.
Come back to your body.
Feel the discomfort
Remind yourself: it is okay to be uncomfortable.
Now try again.
Take. The. Action.
Repeat.
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You might need to ask yourself: do I need any additional support / mentoring / cheerleading / advice to take this action?
Or do I just need to take the damn action?
Get the support you need. Find mentors. A community. A therapist. A friend that can cheerlead you. A loving kick-butt support system.
And then...
Just do it, my loves.
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Next week: I'll share more of how to integrate our four self-care actions of clarity, nourishing, maintenance, and doing hard things.
Previous articles in case you missed them:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1824139433/funny-hiking-gifts-for-men-women-hiker
So glad to have found you here!