So most of you know that I have a dog. His name is Lionel and I rescued him from the pound about 8 years ago. He's almost 11 years old now and he brings me so much joy and fun. Over the years he's been my constant friend.
We went for a walk this morning and now he is resting. Us humans tend to keep pushing ourselves much more than in healthy and this morning I was thinking about how great it must be to be a dog. He always looks so happy during and just after his morning walk. I feel better when I've started the day with a walk too. There are other traits he has that help him to lead a happy, injury free life so I thought I'd share some of those things with you.
1. Do your stretches in the morning. The first thing Lionel does when he wakes us is stretch. He does a downward dog then upward facing dog as soon as he get's up off his bed.
2. Get out in nature. Lionel loves his walk but on days we can't get out he will go outside and explore the back yard.
3. Get your daily dose of sunshine. Lionel loves to lay on the concrete or on his bed outside and soak up the sun. Even if it's cold and windy he makes sure that he gets some rays.
4. Protect your boundaries. Lionel can be quite reactive when other dogs walk past the front of our property or when out walking. While this isn't always ideal for making new friends it is important to let others know where your boundaries are.
5. Get enough sleep and switch off when you need to. When you are exhausted it's time to rest. When Lionel has had enough of playing he will put himself to bed and be snoring 2 minutes later. Don't push yourself beyond your limits.
6. Don't hold a grudge. When Lionel has been naughty (usually if he is bored and has chewed something up) and gets told off he might sulk for about 30 seconds. After that he is back to his normal cheery disposition. Don't hold that guilt, shame or any sort of grudge.
7. Be happy to see your friends. It doesn't matter if I've been away for 10 minutes or several hours, Lionel is always excited to see me when I get home. Value those who mean something to you.
8. Drink plenty of water. I don't know how much water Lionel drinks but his bowls are filled up daily and sometimes more than once a day. I don't drink nearly enough water especially in winter so this is something I'm working on.
9. Have fun and play games. Life is best lived with a variety of things. Some work, some play and some socialising. Get out those games, play cards against humanity, laugh with your friends, go to timezone and have some fun.
This week I am working on taking these lessons from Lionel and practicing more self care. So...What have you learned from your pets? And what self care practices do you have?
