I’m no expert.

I’m practicing.

Practice makes progress.

One step at a time.

My resume says that in the summer of 2009, I attended the Plano ISD Team Leader Academy. My memory from fifteen years ago is fuzzy. But—I do remember someone saying, “Take care of yourself. Body, mind, and spirit. You can’t take care of your students or your family unless you take care of yourself first.” On an overhead projector, there may or may not have been some sort of Venn Diagram with three overlapping circles. Perhaps the circles were separately labeled BODY and MIND and SPIRIT. The overlap in the center possibly said, WELLNESS. Regardless of the presentation, I remembered the idea.

As the years passed, sometimes my body was the strongest. I went to yoga for years and the gym for a spell. There was that boxing and kickboxing phase. Walking has always been my thing. But sometimes it’s too hot outside. Other times my spiritual side has prevailed. I’ve put my faith in God, said my prayers, believed in miracles, attended church, practiced gratitude, experienced peace in the great outdoors.

It seems my mind often betrayed my body and spirit instead of working in sync. While teaching, even with the good advice, wellness fell by the wayside. There were always papers to grade, lessons to plan, literature to read, tests to create, the next calendar to map out, parents to call—things that don’t happen inside of the classroom. There were the times I beat myself up for not being “good” enough—not a good enough teacher, mother, wife, lover, daughter, sister, friend, housekeeper, cook. How many times did I share a weakness with someone close to me to hear them say, “Crystal, be KIND to yourself”? Honestly, I didn’t know what that meant. Now I see, it’s a practice.

Part of me feels guilty telling others about my self-care BECAUSE I’m not working. Did you see that? Self-condemnation is so sneaky. Here’s the point: I know how hard it is to take CARE of SELF while doing the things of life. Nutrition might not be the priority, and so we drive-thru for fast food. After a long day, I loved nothing more than a glass of wine, which always meant three, at least for me. Maybe four. The following day, a potential hangover vs. WELLNESS.

Beginning last summer, I’ve prioritized my health. I didn’t start with a plan, and it didn’t happen all at once. I don’t pretend to be perfect or know everything, but I have nurtured my body, mind, and spirit. One step led to the next. Suddenly I noticed changes:  

1. Spirit: Ray Bradbury advised me to read the Bible, and I did.
2. Mind: I looked at myself in the mirror and tried an affirmation. This led to more affirmations along with meditation. Search YouTube for more. I listen to them in the morning sometimes and sometimes at night.
3. Mind: I learned a secret about the power of connection. I knew this, but reminders are good.
4. Mind: Self-celebration is not only okay. It’s sometimes necessary.
5. Body, Mind, Spirit: I started a dance class for the first time in 34 years. That was last August, and I dance at least three times a week with friends. I’ve lost count of my living room dancing.
6. Spirit: Many of us have Christmas wrong. It’s about hope, peace, joy, and love, not stress.
7. Body: I started 2024 with Dry January which led to Alcohol Free February. Since then, I’ve had drinks and re-started. I’m up to 126 sober days and counting.
8. Body: I upped my fruits and vegetables, cut my sugar, and almost reached the two-month mark.
9. Spirit: I downloaded the Bible app for the Verse of the Day. On the same app I started a plan to read the Bible in a year, 20 minutes a day for the reading and commentary. This is new for me. Wish me luck.
10. Body, Mind, Spirit: The following books taught me a thing or two about self-care. For more information, click the links in below:
    • The Highly Sensitive Person
    • The Emotion Code
    • Atlas of the Heart
    • The Untethered Soul
    • The Four Agreements
    • The 5 Second Rule
    • You Can Heal Your Life

This year I’m believing in—the power of intention and do-overs, progress over perfection, kindness and compassion for self and others, one day at a time and asking God for help. And you know what? My experience keeps me believing.