self-care and your CREATIVe practice

September is "Self–Care Awareness Month" which is a time to remind ourselves that taking care of ourselves, first and foremost, is our priority.  Self-care is often neglected in our everyday lives and especially for those of us who are creative.  When we don't take care of ourselves, our creative life along with everything else can suffer.  We may burn candles at both ends....maintaining a family, full time jobs, extra-curricular activites, etc. and put our creative pursuits on the backburner.  By the time we chose to pursue our creative practice, we are burned out, uninspired or frustrated with the results of our attempts. 

Or we may be active in pursuing a number of creative passions/projects and trying to do them all at the same time.  Creative burn-out is real as well, and can leave you just as depleted as those who are managing a number of outside interests.  You may feel you are feeding the muse, but what you might be doing is the opposite, leading to a major creative block. 

Self-care is something that cannot be neglected.  When you are tired, burned-out or focusing on so many things, after awhile, our bodies rebel by fatigue, illness, mental health concerns or other matters.  Here are some self-care tips to help you actively maintain a healthy and creative life:

• Pay attention about how you feel at each moment.  Are you feeling your best? If not, how do you feel and what might be contributing to it?  Is a trip to the doctor's office in order?
• Speak up for yourself and say "No" when needed.  Sometimes we feel we must say "yes" to that one more thing even when we know that we are over extended.  Ask yourself how saying "yes" would benefit you?  What can you say "no" to accomodate this activity?  How will this affect your creative practice?  Would saying "not now" be a possible option?
• Shift how you think about having "too much to do."  Look at everything on your plate and priortize what is important.  Is there something that you can get help or support with?  Why are you still involved with certain activities that are no longer bringing you joy?  How much time could be loosened up for what you enjoy if you get rid of certain activities that are becoming more of burden?
• Make sleep a priority.  Do you get plenty of rest at night?  Do you need to consider going to bed earlier?  Ending activities after a certain time? A good night's sleep is essential for feeling good, alert and inspired.
• What are your self-care rituals?   A self-care ritual may be taking a long bath at the end of each day, journaling first thing in the morning, prayer, meditating, yoga, exercise, etc.   What has fallen off in regards to our daily or weekly rituals that help you relax?  What can you incorporate or re-introduce?
• Spend time in nature.  Learn the benefits of this for your creativity here. 
• Pay attention to your thoughts and how you feel mentally and emotionally.  Are you feeling generally happy or depressed?  Are you having trouble focusing or feeling inspired about life? Isolated and lonely?  Consider talking to a trusted friend or a therapist to talk through some of what you are feeling.  Know that you are not alone and people are available to help.
• Think about what you consume on a regular basis and how it affects you.  The old adage, you are what you eat applies here...if junk food (fried, fatty foods, caffeine, etc.) is your go to everyday.  A healthy, balanced diet can help keep you alert, focused and effective.  Also,  over consumption of drugs or alcohol may also be something to examine.  Many creatives have historically sworn by drugs and other substances as inspiration for their work, but on the other hand, many have burned out too early (Janis Joplin, John Belushi, Rick James, and Amy Winehouse come to mind).   A quick high can feel good for a moment, but has many times proven not to be effective in dealing with stress in the long run. Seek help if it playing more of a role in your life than it may need to be. 
• Examine your personal relationships to see how they are affecting you.  Sometimes the people around us can contribute to our quality of life.  Are your friends and family supportive?  Are they contributing to unnecessary stress in your life?  
• Consider taking a break off social media and other distractions.  People are increasingly finding themselves addicted to their smart phones, computers and other technological gadget participating in social media sites.  Or binge watch TV shows or Netflix programs.  How is that contributing your well-being?  Taking a break periodically can help you focus on your self, the present as well as the people around you. 
• Treat yourself to something nurturing.  A massage, a short trip to the beach or a trip away, a wholistic retreat at a spiritual center, a nice dinner at a restaurant, an "Artist's Date" to inspire your creativity are some examples of self-care and nurturing activities. 

Use this month to start taking some steps, whether hourly, daily or weekly to help you stay positive, replenished energetic to open yourself for creative ideas and inspirations for your practice.  What are some of you favorite self-care rituals or practices that you engage in to help you stay focused and healthy?  Please share in the comments below!