I plan constantly. I mean, really all the time. When I’m waking in the morning my mind is playing a movie of getting out of bed, walking to the bathroom, brushing my teeth, deciding what to wear, what to eat, etc. etc. etc. I am constantly 3 steps ahead of any given moment.

We are all sponges. I recently heard this theory of self-care that resonated with me. When we take care of ourselves, we absorb water like a sponge. Then throughout the day as we navigate life’s tasks of work, family, etc, etc, we are slowly - or quickly - squeezing out the water. Or, more literally, squeezing out our energy, our capacity for work, our good mood, our tolerance for frustration, etc. If we don’t take time to adequately fill our sponge, we won’t have anything left to squeeze out. Alternatively, if our sponge is empty by mid-morning, how do we fill it back up again to make it through the remainder of the day?