The benefits of building one self-care habit at a time
rewarding and something that you can and will do every day. When you have found that self-care practice, make it a habit. To make it habitual, follow these four simple steps that were articulated by William James, the great 19th-century father of American psychology.
“For many people, establishing a daily meditation practice brings them to a fairly constant state of calmness and composure that cannot be shaken by events of the day, no matter how stressful.”
1. Start immediately. Seize the first opportunity to act on the goal or resolution.
about three years to firmly establish all three daily practices of journaling, surfing and meditation.
2. Launch yourself with zeal. In other words, give it your best.
I urge you to give it a try. If something doesn’t work, try something else until you have found something that is healthy and that nurtures you every day. You will be far better for it. Good luck.
3. Practice the new habit daily until it is engrained in you. 4. Never permit an exception to occur. If you do slip, don’t beat yourself up. Start again. It takes 21 days to begin to form a new habit and 90 days to confirm it. In 120 days the new habit is who you are. If you follow these steps with a self-care practice that you enjoy and make the practice a part of your daily routine, it will change your life for the better. It is probably best not to try to establish more than one self-care practice at a time. Start with one. After you have firmly established that daily practice, add another if you wish. And then another. I chose a crash course in self-care and it took me
Rick Waite (rwaite@keenlaw.com) is an attorney with Keeney Waite & Stevens.
Join a mindful meditation workshop led by Rick Waite at the Bar Center on the second Wednesday of every month. Go to www.sdcba.org/meditation to register.
July/August 2018 SAN DIEGO LAWYER 33