I’m super proud of myself because after today’s walk, I have already hit 40 miles for the month. In other words, over the last 16 days, I have walked 40 miles on the track. That doesn’t including walking in general. That’s specifically from me driving to the park, starting my Galaxy Watch and stopping it when I’m done.

For me personally, that’s pretty fricking amazing and I’ve come a long way.

I haven’t made anymore progress on my weightloss since my last weigh-in but I’m still at 305 lbs +/- 1 lb. That’s a 35 lb weightloss in roughly the last 6 months. ☺

I’m feeling pretty good about myself because self-care when you’re an Autism parent can be exceptionally challenging. I’m really pushing myself to focus on this and overall, it’s been largely positive.

I’ve lost 35 lbs. My cholesterol has dropped 70 points. My blood pressure is back down to within normal range. My resting heart rate is in the 60’s and for the most part, I’m keeping my depression at bay.

I have good days and bad days in regards to depression. Last night was a rough night for me but I held on through it and today has been better.

Self-care isn’t easy but it is possible.

There’s not a predefined measure for self-care and it can be different for each person. The idea is to simply take time out of each day or as often as possible, to take care of yourself.

Here are a few examples of what self-care could be, depending on your situation:

• Going for a walk/run/hike
• Having a cup of coffee or tea in the morning
• Reading a book
• Listening to music
• Parking further away from the entrance to the store, so you have farther to walk
• Exercise
• Glass of wine at the end of the day
• Sitting alone, in silence for a few minutes to catch your breath
• Calling someone on the phone and talking for a few minutes
• Checking in with you doctor just to make sure everything is okay
• Writing on a blog or in a journal
• Hugging someone or accepting a hug from someone

It could literally be anything that has a positive impact on your life, helps you to reduce stress and makes you feel better.

The reality for many of us might simply be hiding in the bathroom for a few minutes and catching our breath. I know that happens in my life quite frequently. 😁

Please do something for yourself and try to do so on a regular basis. I know it hard but it’s worth it and it makes a difference.