Day 4 of my self care challenge: productivity CAN be self care

Today is my fourth day of trying to focus on self care! It’s been quite the roller coaster of three days to be honest because of emotions and reflection, but today was a good one.

Like I planned yesterday, it was a quiet indoor day today, with taking the dogs out every once in a while. I allowed myself to stay in bed for a while and watch tik toks without feeling guilty (really spoiling myself here 😅) and then read a bit of my book. My wife needed to put in a full day of working from home (how cute is she!) so I thought I would body double a bit to get some stuff done too!

What is body doubling ?

Body doubling simply means doing a task in the presence of another person. The other person may help with the task, such as when a couple or housemates do housework together. They may work on the same task, but independently, such as when friends do homework together. Or they might simply be present, listening to music or quietly performing an unrelated task.The body double’s job is to help anchor the person with ADHD to the present moment and task, reducing the risk of distraction.

I KNOW that it helps me focus on something when I’m either with someone who is also trying to focus, or know someone else is working (ex when my wife is cleaning the bathroom so I am more motivated to complete the laundry I was folding), but I didn’t know it would be so helpful! Today I was able to start and nearly finish a lot of little organizational work projects that had to be done that I NEVER prioritize. I got SO much stuff done and also many things started that I have wanted and needed to for so long! But I got to do it without time pressure because it wasn’t needing to be done today. In between certain tasks and at the end of the day I read, snuggled the dogs had snacks and played my Disney Dreamlight Valley game 🥰 it really was an ideal day and a true reminder that sometimes doing something productive like catching up on work, volunteering, cleaning your space and running errands can be a huge part of self care practice! I know I’m much less stressed knowing I completed those things for work!

Ideas for tomorrow: day 5 I’m thinking I’m going to use this motivation from body doubling to finish up as much as I can for Monday, plan my client for Tuesday and my group for next Saturday ! If it’s nice out I also want to go for a walk and spend more time outdoors ! And I would really love to at least read a bit of my new book !

Have you engaged in any mid week self care ?

Published by maiiflowerr

Pronouns She/Her/they/them. I'm a millennial just trying to make a difference in the world, and create space for people to accept themselves and live their best lives. My WIFE, Sydney, and I are mothers to our two goofy cats, and the queens of creative adventures. I am an Occupational therapist, a dancer and a yoga instructor with a passion for supporting people and creating community.

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