Guardrails to self-care

I heard the term “Guardrails” in correlation with well-being and self care and thought what could that mean. Unsure of the concept I explored more. You might be thinking guardrails are on every road we travel. They keep us on the road and ensure we don’t go into unsafe territory while driving. Some roads can present a wild ride of twists and turns, up and down hills, etc. When you think about it I guess it sounds a little like life. We all have ups and downs, are pitched curve balls, sometimes are completely surprised by what has come our way. Regardless, we are constantly trying to be good people, do right by our family and ourselves.

In order for me to have a day that is functional, I have key events, tasks, etc. that I do each day. Many of which I need to do as a way of caring for myself. For instance, every morning I get up and have coffee, take my vitamins, organize my to-do list, ensure I have lunch and workout. Without many of these my day can be easily derailed. These are my guardrails- they keep me on the right path and guide me. I function each day when I do all of these things, I focus more and I feel good. If there is something specific that has weighed heavily on my mind I often look within myself to do specific things to help navigate the uncharted road. These could be meditation, listening to music, talking to a friend, calling on people that will listen and not direct. 

There are other guardrails to consider. As I have grown I have introduced the need for self talk. Telling myself everything is going to be ok, I can not control others but I can control myself, I'm allowed to have feelings, I can take a deep breath to avoid a reaction, It’s ok to admit when you are wrong, its ok to ask for help, its ok to say I want to vent but don’t need you to find a solution. Every woman reading this can relate to this but how often do we actually do this for ourselves. Hence the need for guardrails. 

I need these and I bet you do too. We’re just driving down the road called life trying to stay safe so we can arrive at our final destination. Take some time today, write down what your guardrails are. Be mindful, be resilient, be compassionate and don’t forget to be a BADASS.