Why Maintenance Doesn’t Stop with You

Though my brand and I advocate for self-care, I think an important step in the process is understanding that maintenance doesn’t stop with you.

This popular topic seems to be gaining more momentum than ever and I think it may resonate with people, especially moms, because they feel like they give so much to others throughout the day and forget to take care of themselves. And while those valid feelings are getting some well-deserved attention and TLC, you may still feel like others aren’t showing you the same kind of care. So what I’m suggesting isn’t that self-care should be forgone, or that you’re not already giving back to others – but simply that the intention and purpose that countless articles have asked you to pour into your own well-being also be applied to other important people and things in your life. Here’s why:

While a self-care routine can show others how important it is to care for themselves, regular maintenance of your relationships can show others how important it is to care for each other. I bet you’re thinking, “But I already spend 80-95% of my day doing things for other people…” and you know what, that is incredible and I applaud you. However, I would challenge to determine how much of that time is spent doing things for others for the purpose of improving the relationship. As with self-care practices, maintaining your relationships requires a mindful approach in which careful consideration of each action is taken to ensure that the other person feels cared for. So ask them what you’re already doing to make them feel cared for. While you’re at it, ask them what you’re not doing, and what you could do better. It may be difficult, but opening up that communication can be a cathartic experience. At the end of the day, you invested in yourself anyway.
A good self-maintenance routine can leave you feeling healthy and happy but when applied to your surroundings, regular maintenance promotes peacefulness and an overall sense that burdens have been lifted. What I’m talking about here is tidying up. Regularly. Find my favorite cleaning method here at Home-Ec101 (an excellent blog to follow). If you have your own self-care paired down to a few favorite products, why stop there? Why not take a look at all that you have brought into your home and ask yourself what purpose these items serve and decide whether they’re in-line with your current vision. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by their favorite things? Method31 specializes in providing a cathartic de-cluttering experience that focuses on an individual’s needs to build a customized method for maintaining a clutter-free space, mind, body, & soul.
Just as you spend time with yourself with conscientious effort and begin to discover more of your flaws (ones to accept and ones to work on); so would you also discover the status of any one thing to which you pay deliberate attention. Here, I’d like to discuss finances. There’s a difference between having and maintaining a budget. You can set limits for yourself all day long, but if you’re not attending to the details of your transactions on a regular basis, you can’t be sure that you’re following it appropriately or that it even works for you.

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work & lifestyle organizing