My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She
detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a
(ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has
inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.
Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?
Three nice things about myself -- March 14:
1) I remember who I'm talking to. Three people, 54 minutes. That's how long I was on the phone, ironing out a problem with my new dental insurance carrier. My coverage doesn't begin until June 1 and didn't need to expect to talk with them for weeks and weeks, but I received an email saying my first premium had been billed to my credit card and to check my account on their website to review the bill. Huh? Why was I billed already? Why can't I access my account on their website (like the email instructed me to do)? I admit it was frustrating but I worked at being cheerful -- next level, Stepford Wife cheerful -- because I realize the people I was speaking to are not the ones who generated the bill and the email.
2) I'm especially good if you have fur. Yes, I was patient on the phone call above. But I realized, as I was on hold and being transferred from representative to representative, that patience required concerted effort on my part. Dealing with the breakfast drama provided by my two cats while I was on the phone? That came naturally. Connie -- who is elderly and slowly losing her sight and hearing -- begs for food and then is often startled by the bowl I put down for her. The same bowl she's had for more than a year. Completely understandable if you're blind-ish, deaf-ish, and have a brain the size of a plum pit. Roy Hobbs tries to get into the refrigerator every time I open the door. Of course he does. He knows that's where the hot dog buns are and his favorite thing in the entire world is stealing plastic bags like the one the buns come in. I think of Elaine, who keeps trying to train her cats to conform to certain behaviors, or Jen from the store, who is something of a germophobe and would never countenance a cat's paw anywhere near food storage, and I smile. Connie and Roy Hobbs are perfect as they are and as long as they are safe and happy, I do little to curb their natural behavior. I like that about myself. I'm not perfect, but I'm a pretty damn good cat mom.
3) I shared the knowledge. I contacted my former art director with what I learned about the ins and outs of dental insurance. She'll need new coverage on the same day as I do, but she's busy with her freelance work and probably doesn't even know where to start.
