Are you ready? Are you ready to get WILD?!!!

Ok actually this is the most boring step. But I’m willing to bet its the one you need the most, friend. (make sure you start HERE so we’re on the same page about what self care is and how to start) The base of your pyramid is your foundation, and when you don’t have it locked in then the rest of your pyramid will be unsuccessful. You may be able to limp along for a while, but eventually your physiological needs will demand your attention.

What does that look like? Getting sick during finals week. Injuries and soreness that won’t go away. Exhaustion. Acne. Insomnia. Weight gain. Only you know what it looks like for YOU when you’re not taking the best care of your physiological needs.

The thing I love about this phase is how clear and simple it is to begin improving. And you just freed up all that time, remember??? I cannot emphasize enough how much your life can change with just this step, you guys. Commit to it.

Sleep

You need it. You just do. Stop believing the lies that society/Netflix/your roommates tell you. “You’ll sleep when you’re dead!” “You’ll miss out!” “It’s just an extra hour or two!” “You’ll catch up on the weekend.” Stop glorifying lack of sleep. Obviously if you’re a parent this isn’t all entirely in your control, but we can all do better to get the rest we need.

Make getting enough sleep your J-O-B for a week. Just for a week. It’s recommended that adults get 7-9 hours. Count backward from the earliest your kids wake up or the alarm that gives you plenty of time to get to work. Set a “GO TO BED” alarm and obey it exactly! Leave dishes in the sink, episodes unfinished, work will be there tomorrow.

Do what you have to do to get more sleep. Take a melatonin or a Unisom if need be, and then put your phone away. I’m particularly bad at that but it’s probably the biggest threat to our millennial sleep. Sleep train your kids. Try a white noise machine. Start your bedtime routine an hour earlier.

Make getting 8 hours of sleep your absolute goal for one week straight and watch your life change. I double dog dare you.

Food

This is where my self care was weakest. So often I think “I don’t have time to meal plan or prep!!!!” but then I end up eating crap, going too long between meals, spending too much on food, and just generally feeling awful. During this phase you can make it a priority to plan meals, eat good things, and dedicate time to eating. IT LITERALLY KEEPS YOU ALIVE DANICA STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT AS FAST AND EASY AS POSSIBLE.

Eating a whole roll of cookie dough when you’re sad isn’t self care, it’s self sabotage. Starving yourself on a rigid diet isn’t self care either, it’s self abuse. Self care with food is eating things you like, eating things that are good for you, eating enough, and not eating too much. I’ve converted to Intuitive Eating and I feel 100 emoji, so I highly recommend it if you have an unhealthy relationship with food/dieting/weight/body image.

Learn to listen to your body. Eat regularly! Build back your body’s trust that you will take care of it. For me this meant laying out meals so I wouldn’t go all day without eating and then binge everything in sight at 3 pm and eat out for dinner because I didn’t plan ahead. For you it might mean throwing out your meal plan because it’s too restrictive.

You drop everything to feed kids when they need it – add yourself to the priority list. In this stage make it you JOB to eat in a way that makes you feel good.

Oh. DANICA. Don’t forget. You love to forget. WATER. Drink it, you numbskull.

Body

Do you have a nagging injury or medical condition? Are you tired and tight and sore? How are you treating your body?

In this stage you really have to go full hippie and listen to your body. Is it too tired for the gym? THEN STOP FORCING IT DANICA. (This was the month of May where I swore off the gym and all cardio and instead did a month of just yoga. My body had been sore and injured and tired and it just wasn’t passing so I stopped, did this, and FELT AMAZING.)

Assess how your workouts feel, and how YOU feel about your workouts when you keep/miss them. Think about what makes your body feel good and strong, and think about how you can send your body the message that you love and appreciate it – you’re taking care of it.

For me this meant NOT working out, because I was using exercise as a competitive stick to beat myself and create disappointment. For you this might mean you DO work out.  Try gentle stretching or yoga. Try dancing. Take a long walk at your favorite time of day.

Whatever you do, make sure you’re sending the message to yourself that your basic physical needs matter and are being taken care of.

Shelter

Essentially your shelter needs are survivalist – are you warm/cool enough? Have a safe place to sleep? Somewhere to store and eat your food? A coat? Since most of us are fortunate to have these things, you may also consider the state of your shelter. It seems silly but if your AC/heating is out, now is the time to fix it. Do whatever you need to make your shelter work for you.

We often force ourselves into clothes that don’t fit because we’re in denial about weight gain. Nope. Don’t do that to yourself. Sizes are dumb. Go get clothes that fit. Wear a coat when it’s cold. Put on a hat and gloves instead of considering them an extra hassle.

I consider my body my shelter as well, so I made it a point in this phase to shower regularly and well, not letting my hair get to 8 days of sweat and dry shampoo. Weird, I know. I told myself, repeatedly, “No, you have the time to wash your face. Do not go to bed with makeup on again.”

Most of us have grown accustomed to fitting this part of the pyramid in around everything else. Food is eaten to maximize convenience; sleep takes a hit from work or relationships. It is just far too easy to relegate these vital, crucial, big rocks to the bottom of our list.

Not anymore. Self care is about bringing these consciously to the top of your list and consistently making sure they are met. Spend some time, as much as you can manage, focusing solely on these critical tasks. Set a new rhythm and earn back your body’s trust. Eventually you won’t have to focus so directly on them, and they’ll mostly become routine. Then you can focus on the next level (tomorrow!!!!).

I’m not saying you’re taking terrible care of yourself if you don’t get 8 hours every night, or you sometimes binge eat, or you never work out. This is just the crash course boot camp to help you better identify YOUR personal self care. Meeting your physiological needs should make you FEEL different, and then you’ll notice when something is off.

When you’re feeling terrible mentally/physically/emotionally, Start here. Start over. If you want to be healthier, happier, more productive, and reach your full potential you MUST take care of the base of your pyramid with commitment.

It’s not sexier to go to bed early or to walk instead of run. But I can tell you that in the month of May when I really committed to this – and only this – I changed as a person and my body completely responded. It’s worth it. Try it. Temporarily say no to as much as you can so that you can say yes to your body and physical needs.

Up next is safety!!!!!! I’ll dress up like McGruff the Crime Dog! (I won’t)