This is beautiful and as always you sum up both big care and self care so well. My main self care tiny moment (though often ends up being a very long moment is sitting watching the insects in my garden. Totally in the moment, surrounded by nature, time to breath. And I believe it ends up being a 'big' care because it connects me with nature, enables me to understand the Web of life in my garden, what plants they like, when they come, so I can make my little patch better for nature in the future.
I 100% agree Rachel. I think the line between big and small care is much finer than we think. Those tiny moments are often what we need to both recalibrate ourselves and remember what it is that we hold most important.
This is beautiful!! Watching the insects in my garden in the morning is one of my favourite things too 🥰 it’s amazing how many interesting bugs I’ve found this way - bugs I would’ve never noticed otherwise!
Ohhh yes!!! The first blue banded bee sighting (and hearing) is the best!! I was giddy when I spied one in our garden for the first time! They are so noisy 😂 (though thankfully not quite at the level of a neighbour’s drop saw)
I have loved incorporating tiny acts of self-care into my day, since reading your book Brooke 💕 Two longstanding acts include taking a big, deep inhale as I grind coffee beans for my morning coffee (and trying to be present for the process of making a coffee) and feeling the warmth of a hot washcloth on my face as I take off my makeup/ sunscreen at the end of the day.
These both made me smile so big Christina! There's something so wonderful about a warm washer on your face isn't there? Since I started washing my face with honey again I do it at least once, often twice a day, and it is genuinely so lovely. 💚
This is a great list. Currently, it’s summer here in the US and I like to take my coffee outside and spend that 5 minutes being in nature. I check on my garden, listen to the birds and appreciate the season we are in. Even if my day is full of have-tos, this can always find time for and it’s grounding in a way that I crave.
YES! You know I used to do this every day and somewhere along the line it got shuffled off to the side. You've inspired me Natalie. I'm going to make space for this again 💚
Hi Brooke, sorry to hear you are still not 100%. I love the idea of Small Care and try and incorporate them into my day as follows: getting off the train a couple of stops before and walking to work through the botanical gardens, counting how many bird species I see on my walk, cuddling or playing with my cats, watering my garden and taking time to notice all the new shoots on the roses, turning on an essential oil burner each night when I go to bed, taking time in the morning rush to sit for 10 mins and really savour the first cup of coffee for the day. 🥰
Oh, I think there's something so so powerful about counting things we notice. It means we're really engaged with it for those moments, no matter how brief. I love the bird counting so much - you've got me thinking about the different things I could count/notice every day now. Thanks Nicola!! xx
How glorious Brooke! How simply glorious to be reminded of the SMALL CARE. The gentle tending of the vulnerable, the gentle softening of our mind, the gentle holding of that cup in our hands, that exquisite pausing as one passes the smell of wattle and breathes in the life-force of that brilliant yellow colour. THANK YOU for such gentle soft reminders.
I love the idea of tiny acts of self care Brooke. Sometimes anything more can feel like a mountain to climb, so having something achievable is a great thing to aim for. 🙏💫
Love this list of small care practices, Brooke! My current small care acts are texting my friends to check in (“how have you been with the recent rain?” Or “how is your garden?”), taking a few extra minutes to snuggle and talk to my cats, and sitting outside on my porch steps to let the sun warm my face when I eat lunch. All pretty quick, but all so nourishing! I hope others share come of their small care practices on your comments, too!
Judging by the little pang I got in my belly reading this, I think those tiny moments of checking in have slipped by t he wayside for me Kate. Thank you for the gentle reminder that they're just as important for me as for my friendships. 💚💚💚
Such beautiful ideas Brooke! My current little act of care is doing the cryptic crossword in the mornings with my mum (we compare our answers via text) while my little boy rolls around on his playmat and I have a giant cup of tea. It’s one of the highlights of my day and the nicest way to start the morning! Thanks for the regular reminders that it’s these (seemingly) small things that are what makes life truly enjoyable and I hope you feel better soon ❤️ xx
This made me smile Casey! My mum loves a crossword but I find them stressful (weird, I know) but you've made me think that I should do a wordle or something with her. 💚
I can totally understand finding them stressful, I had to embrace not being very good at them for quite a while in order to start to enjoy them haha, I’ve still never completed one, but it’s a nice way to keep my brain amused without resorting to my phone when my companion is still in the pre-verbal stage of his development 😆
Loved this list of small care, Brooke! Thanks for sharing. My act of small care is to meet my basic human needs every day - shower, brush my teeth, eat 3 meals, get outside, breathe. It all seems trivial, but with a new baby and life in general, these basic tasks can sometimes take a back seat. Not anymore! I need to do these everyday to help support my children, not just myself 🤍
100% Sophie - when my kids were babies, fulfilling those basic human needs felt like a very satisfactory day! It took me a while to realise that doing that was also the best way to show up for them in the ways I wanted and needed to 💚
This is beautiful and as always you sum up both big care and self care so well. My main self care tiny moment (though often ends up being a very long moment is sitting watching the insects in my garden. Totally in the moment, surrounded by nature, time to breath. And I believe it ends up being a 'big' care because it connects me with nature, enables me to understand the Web of life in my garden, what plants they like, when they come, so I can make my little patch better for nature in the future.
I 100% agree Rachel. I think the line between big and small care is much finer than we think. Those tiny moments are often what we need to both recalibrate ourselves and remember what it is that we hold most important.
This is beautiful!! Watching the insects in my garden in the morning is one of my favourite things too 🥰 it’s amazing how many interesting bugs I’ve found this way - bugs I would’ve never noticed otherwise!
I still think one of the happiest memories of the past few years for me was when I first heard, then saw, my first ever blue-banded bee in our garden.
Ohhh yes!!! The first blue banded bee sighting (and hearing) is the best!! I was giddy when I spied one in our garden for the first time! They are so noisy 😂 (though thankfully not quite at the level of a neighbour’s drop saw)
I have loved incorporating tiny acts of self-care into my day, since reading your book Brooke 💕 Two longstanding acts include taking a big, deep inhale as I grind coffee beans for my morning coffee (and trying to be present for the process of making a coffee) and feeling the warmth of a hot washcloth on my face as I take off my makeup/ sunscreen at the end of the day.
These both made me smile so big Christina! There's something so wonderful about a warm washer on your face isn't there? Since I started washing my face with honey again I do it at least once, often twice a day, and it is genuinely so lovely. 💚
This is a great list. Currently, it’s summer here in the US and I like to take my coffee outside and spend that 5 minutes being in nature. I check on my garden, listen to the birds and appreciate the season we are in. Even if my day is full of have-tos, this can always find time for and it’s grounding in a way that I crave.
YES! You know I used to do this every day and somewhere along the line it got shuffled off to the side. You've inspired me Natalie. I'm going to make space for this again 💚
Hi Brooke, sorry to hear you are still not 100%. I love the idea of Small Care and try and incorporate them into my day as follows: getting off the train a couple of stops before and walking to work through the botanical gardens, counting how many bird species I see on my walk, cuddling or playing with my cats, watering my garden and taking time to notice all the new shoots on the roses, turning on an essential oil burner each night when I go to bed, taking time in the morning rush to sit for 10 mins and really savour the first cup of coffee for the day. 🥰
Oh, I think there's something so so powerful about counting things we notice. It means we're really engaged with it for those moments, no matter how brief. I love the bird counting so much - you've got me thinking about the different things I could count/notice every day now. Thanks Nicola!! xx
How glorious Brooke! How simply glorious to be reminded of the SMALL CARE. The gentle tending of the vulnerable, the gentle softening of our mind, the gentle holding of that cup in our hands, that exquisite pausing as one passes the smell of wattle and breathes in the life-force of that brilliant yellow colour. THANK YOU for such gentle soft reminders.
This is so beautifully put Samantha - thank *you* for sharing it with us xxxx
I love the idea of tiny acts of self care Brooke. Sometimes anything more can feel like a mountain to climb, so having something achievable is a great thing to aim for. 🙏💫
Yes! Especially on those days that it all feels too much. Like James Clear says, "Reduce the scope, stick to the schedule." 💚💚
Love this list of small care practices, Brooke! My current small care acts are texting my friends to check in (“how have you been with the recent rain?” Or “how is your garden?”), taking a few extra minutes to snuggle and talk to my cats, and sitting outside on my porch steps to let the sun warm my face when I eat lunch. All pretty quick, but all so nourishing! I hope others share come of their small care practices on your comments, too!
Judging by the little pang I got in my belly reading this, I think those tiny moments of checking in have slipped by t he wayside for me Kate. Thank you for the gentle reminder that they're just as important for me as for my friendships. 💚💚💚
Oh my gosh what a cracking play list! Were you born in 1975 by any chance?! Love it Brooke - thank you. Very generous.
Glad you like it Cherie! And I'm a 1982 baby, baby xxxx
Such beautiful ideas Brooke! My current little act of care is doing the cryptic crossword in the mornings with my mum (we compare our answers via text) while my little boy rolls around on his playmat and I have a giant cup of tea. It’s one of the highlights of my day and the nicest way to start the morning! Thanks for the regular reminders that it’s these (seemingly) small things that are what makes life truly enjoyable and I hope you feel better soon ❤️ xx
This made me smile Casey! My mum loves a crossword but I find them stressful (weird, I know) but you've made me think that I should do a wordle or something with her. 💚
I can totally understand finding them stressful, I had to embrace not being very good at them for quite a while in order to start to enjoy them haha, I’ve still never completed one, but it’s a nice way to keep my brain amused without resorting to my phone when my companion is still in the pre-verbal stage of his development 😆
l like to leave little post it notes with an encouraging message on the mailbox on the corner.
Oh I love this idea Maria! 💚
Loved this list of small care, Brooke! Thanks for sharing. My act of small care is to meet my basic human needs every day - shower, brush my teeth, eat 3 meals, get outside, breathe. It all seems trivial, but with a new baby and life in general, these basic tasks can sometimes take a back seat. Not anymore! I need to do these everyday to help support my children, not just myself 🤍
100% Sophie - when my kids were babies, fulfilling those basic human needs felt like a very satisfactory day! It took me a while to realise that doing that was also the best way to show up for them in the ways I wanted and needed to 💚
Yes! I completely agree 🤍
Engaging on substance is a form of self care. ❤️ I love making lasagne and comfort foods too. ❤️
Yes! Comfort cooking is such an act of care!!! (And now I'm hungry 😆)
Brilliant as always 🤍