Let’s Talk About Self Care

Today I want to talk to you about self care.

Now, anyone can tell you to exercise and eat right.  You already know that.  Let’s take a different direction.

Some of you may not know this, but I’m a fight doctor.

I go to mixed martial arts fights, sit ring side, and help when there’s a medical need.  It’s exciting and adrenaline packed.  Broken noses, broken bones, lacerations, concussions.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche had a saying “what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.”  And that’s true.  But I think there’s a better way to get stronger than getting punched in the face.  And my fighter friends would agree.  It takes a strange sort of person to enjoy getting kicked and hit.

I treat a wide variety of people at my clinic.  I see strong people that suffer from anxiety, rich people with depression, married people with loneliness, successful people with attention deficit, masculine people with sexual dysfunction, and beautiful people with poor self esteem.

Whatever problem you have, I’ve seen it.  and trust me, you’re not alone.

But back to our topic….How can you be stronger, more resilient, more successful, and harder to kill emotionally?

Focus.

What you focus on makes you stronger, and what you neglect gets weaker.

We all know this.

The foreign language you actually practice and try to learn gets spoken and the others never get uttered.

Shooting free throws can make you a better basketball player.

Running makes you a better runner.

This is obvious but neglected in some areas of our lives.

Particularly our mindset.

You have to focus on what you want to achieve.  How you want to be. Who you want to become.

If you do not take care of yourself, how will you take care of anyone else?

So the first aspect of self care is mental.

You must make the mental shift to awareness and a positive attitude.

Now some people are naturally happy, go lucky types.  Good for them.

But others have to work at it.

How do you do that?

You start your day, knowing what’s ahead, and planning out your reactions.

You see the troubled kid in your mind, the one that’s going to be loud, wild, back talking, etc.   You prepare yourself by telling yourself what you’ll encounter and how you’ll handle it.

Will this fix your problems?  No.

But if you do this every damn day, you will get better at it.  You will start to handle situations better.  More in control.  This self control becomes a cycle of peace in your life.   The more you focus, the better it gets.

Comfort can be a cage.

We get stuck in routines.  We become addicted to the dopamine of entertainment.  Motivated by fear and money.  We become rats on a wheel.

To break free from comfort…..fast.

I’m not talking about religious fasting or losing weight.

Set aside one day a week to fast from something.  Maybe it’s your smart phone/social media.  Maybe it’s coffee.   Maybe it’s Netflix or Youtube.

This is a dopamine fast.   You give up something that brings you pleasure in order to become the master and not the slave.

You can also do this with food.  Pick a day that you won’t eat, or skip a meal, etc.  I would encourage you (if you do this) to plan ahead.  Know what day you’re doing what.

If the fast isn’t difficult, then you picked the wrong thing or too short of time.   Just adjust and keep going.  This is a process.  There’s no overnight enlightenment.

By understanding these concepts of Focus and Fasting, you can take yourself in whatever direction you choose.  You will have the fortitude to exercise, eat right, pray regularly, and be creative.  All the things you know you should be doing anyway.

Hopefully these were some practical tips that you can put into practice.  Make sure you talk to your doctor before you start doing extended food fasting.

And above all, smile.  Enjoy today.  It may be all you have.

Good luck and God speed.