I struggle with self-care. I work myself into the ground and fail to take care of myself way more than I'd like to admit.

But over the past week, I've tried to start correcting this.

The first thing I've done is stay off social media.

This has been the most impactful by far because I find myself getting caught up in everything that everyone else is doing and find myself losing focus on what I need to be doing and what I want to accomplish.

Social media, Twitter especially, can start to feel like an echo chamber and unplugging for a while can help bring clarity back into your thoughts and state of mind.

The second thing I've focused on is prioritizing my health

I've been an athlete my whole life and staying in shape has never been much of a challenge. But over the past year since starting my business, my health has plummeted. I rarely eat and I can't remember the last time I worked out prior to a couple weeks ago. My weight has dropped from a normal 180 lbs all the way down to 162 lbs.

And the third thing, practicing gratitude.

I was starting to realize that no matter what happened, good or bad, I wasn't happy and I didn't understand why. But then, I started writing down a few things that I'm grateful for each day in my journal. This helps me slow down and appreciate smaller things and I'm truly starting to realize the importance of the quote "fall in love with the process, not the results".

I'm far from living the life I want to, but if I always dream of the life I want, the life I'm living will quickly pass me by.

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Essay #84 - 6.18.21