Self Care Reflection

Caroline Manrubia

A mindful change I made to my diet this week to improve my health was eating more
slowly and not rushing to eat my meals. By being more present in the moment and taking the
time to savor and enjoy my foods, I’ve realized that by focusing on the experiences of eating like
the smell, texture, sight, and sound of food has made me feel more satisfied and ‘full.’ By having
this filling sensation, I could potentially reduce my portion sizes and lose the few extra pounds to
improve my health. A mindful change I’ve made to my sleeping pattern is doing short meditation
before bed. I first make sure to remove all distractions from my room like turning off the TV and
cell phone. I then lie down in a comfortable position and focus on my breathing, tensing my
body as I inhale, pausing, and relaxing as I exhale. Since incorporating meditation into my life,
I’ve noticed how my body has become less tense which helps me relax right before going to bed.
My sleep has improved. In terms of physical activities, I’ve started to go to Zumba at my gym at
least once or twice a week. I feel like can continue this routine by first starting out slow and
gradually work my endurance back up to where it was. I think the transition into it has been
relatively easy, especially by freeing up my schedule and blocking time specifically to go to
gym; this way I don’t have an excuse to not go. Zumba is a great workout because you’re able to
get a great cardio workout while letting off some steam by dancing some of your stress and
worries away. The music distracts my mind from thinking I am actually working out! I think
with school, I’ve neglected to take more care of body and I hope to continue being consistent in
my gym routine.