Last Updated on August 5, 2021 by Kari
I woke up super depressed today. I’m sure it’s my hormones (and a little bit of frustration from people I work with), but knowing that didn’t make me feel any better. All I wanted to do was go back to bed.
Instead, I got online (which usually makes me feel worse thanks to the news and social media rants) and tried to do some work, but it wasn’t happening. I got on a Mindvalley call, but it was annoying to me so I got off that.
Then I did the best thing I could have done for myself. Instead of jumping into bed and curling up in a ball, I got on Skillshare to see if there was a class that I wanted to take. I can’t remember what I typed in, but the best possible class popped up for me – The Ultimate Self-Care Playbook by Jonathan Van Ness.
Jonathan Van Ness made me feel better simply by watching the preview of his class. It was the first time I smiled all day, so it was a no-brainer that his class was something that might help me feel better.
This Self-Care Class Is Just What I Needed For My Life, Not Just For Today
“I don’t want you to be overwhelmed, because mine’s really gorgeous.” – Jonathan Van Ness on his self-care planner in his Skillshare class
The class was really good. I enjoyed every second of listening to him and how he embeds self-care into his life. He’s a charismatic guy who makes you feel good. Bottom line.
The class itself focuses on various things that Jonathan Van Ness uses for his self-care.
- Making a self-care planner personable and then using it for various exercises.
- Having a home spa moment.
- Doing yoga.
- Releasing limiting beliefs.
- Using positive affirmations. I loved how he said doing this prepares us to show up as our best selves as we talk to ourselves in a loving, mindful way.
- Crafting. Particularly for him, needlepoint.
- Gardening.
- Paying attention to your thoughts.
- Meditation.
And, he had some really good skincare tips. In fact, he includes a PDF with all the products he used at bath time and for skin care and grooming.
He talks about creating a self-care routine and scheduling it in. Being able to schedule in some time that is YOUR time is something I’ve always valued, so it’s really not hard for me to this one.
He also shared a creative way that he works through being resentful. Oh. My. God. This is something I needed, and it works for me very well.
Jonathan Van Ness Inspired Me Through This Class
The more he talked, the more aha moments I had. Through a few of the exercises and just through him sharing how he focuses on self-care, I’ve been inspired in many different ways.
Perhaps the biggest inspiration for me came from his talk about the joy of discovery. I’ve been losing my joy lately. I’ve talked on here about how I’m lacking zest in my life, and I’ve been feeling like I’m not looking forward to much anymore. It’s not so much that I’m consistently depressed, it’s just that everything I thought I loved doing isn’t bringing me as much joy anymore, and so I’ve been struggling with what to do.
But I started to list off some things that used to bring me joy and POW! I started to think about a ton of things that I can try doing or try rekindling going forward.
I swear I couldn’t think of anything before this class, and I’ve been trying! Just ask my husband who has to listen to me talk about how I’m losing passion in life.
I don’t know if you know what it feels like to lose excitement around your hobbies and interests, but I can tell you that it sucks for me. It feels like you got nothing going for you, which is a horrible feeling to have. And it drags down your interest in anything that might kind of appeal to you. It’s like having a dark cloud hanging over you that’s keeping you from seeing any light.
Anyway, Jonathan Van Ness’s passion around his needlepoint reminded me that I have a barely started cross-stitch thing downstairs. I loved cross-stitch at one point, but this barely got started (two years ago!) and it’s been sitting downstairs waiting for me to do something with it. As you can see, I did less than half of one line.
And look how dusty it is!
The thought of restarting this… well, it gives me something to look forward to, and that brings tears to my eyes.
Take This Class If You Are Thinking About Self Care
If you’ve been thinking about Skillshare or have Skillshare and want a class to take. Take this class. The class is called The Ultimate Self-Care Playbook: Discover & Nurture Your Centered Self. Take it.
If you are not part of Skillshare, you can get one month free here through my partner link.
Just take the class.
The class is fun, calming, and grounding. It gave me everything I needed today and more.
I hope he makes more classes on Skillshare.
