Today I had to go to the Physiotherapist. I’ve had back pain for a few days and it has been referring into my head and causing pretty nasty headaches. This happens relatively frequently with me and I’ve finally decided to see if there is something I can do about it!
During the initial consultation we ran through contributing factors: exercise levels and type of activity; type of work etc. Easy. The physio immediately identified a number of contributing factors (as well as a few postural issues) and set to work. But just as she got me on the table I remembered that I should disclose my knitting habit.
‘I probably should have mentioned that I’m a knitter when we
were talking about contributing factors’
‘ah, yes, you should have’ she responded. ‘how often do you knit;
once a week?’
‘ummm, at least an hour every day?’ (question mark deliberate to
indicate upward tone at the end)
‘ah, and that’s a non-negotiable I assume’
And of course the answer is yes, it is a non-negotiable. I know it screws up my back. It was kindly pointed out to me that my upper right trapezoid is *significantly* more developed than my left and this is impacting my posture too. But, it’s still a non-negotiable.
Knitting is one of my self-care moments 
the other is sewing (in a theme of pink!)
It reminded me of something Dr Stacey Waters of Mindful Meditation Australia said at the Australian Meditation Conference back in July. She asked us each to identify one activity that
- relaxes you
- takes your full attention
- is your moment of self care
Some ideas people identified were: cooking, knitting, painting and walking. I have been using this in sessions ever since to help my clients identify where they can find mindfulness in their daily life. This is so important for self-care, and so many people find it challenging to identify any activity, let alone one they do frequently.
So today, answer those questions for yourself. Identify an activity and try to make time for it at least one day this week. Be kind to yourself.
mindful.melbourne 