Movement as self care
The unusual reminder I got from my two-year-old
My two-year-old recently discovered the joy that is “Barbara Ann” by the Beach Boys.
[Stick with me, I promise this will become about exercise…].
He shouts at our Google Home asking for “Baba” and the second that first note hits, his arms are in the air, his knees are marching and he’s moving all around. The other day, I decided to join him for a little dance break.
Barbara Ann turned into the Jackson 5, then Elvis and on it went.
We danced around for a solid 10 minutes together. It was joy-filled, silly and completely necessary for my body (and my sanity if we’re being honest).
I love a traditional workout - a run, some strength circuits, even a flowy yoga class - but this movement felt full of self-care. I walked away from that 10 minutes with a smile on my face, endorphins coursing through my veins, feeling like I had done a little workout AND washed away some of the anxiety that seems to be ever-present these days.
So, here’s a little reminder for you:
Movement can be self-care.
We can use movement to get stronger. To be faster. To hit that goal we set.
But we can also use it to find some joy.
To change up the course of our day.
To allow ourselves to be a little less serious about it all, if only for just a few minutes.
This kind of movement as self care can look like a dance break, but it can also look like some restorative yoga (I’ll take an extended savasna anyday), stretching or just a nice headphone-free walk around the neighborhood.
