Doing your taxes is self care (Spring, 2022)

Dear Community ,

Hello and I hope you're having a good weekend! I put this piece of writing out this morning on Facebook and got quite a bit of interesting feedback, so I thought I'd share it with you. In this world where we hear "self care" all over the place, its important to stop and really think about what that needs to mean for us. Enjoy and I'll be in touch with more about my Applied Anatomy course soon! For many of my adult years, I thought that “self care” was just about exercise, drinking enough water, eating well, talking things out and being rested. For years I didn’t realize that a huge part of self care was about getting your paperwork and finances in order. You know, the actual, being an adult, type of self care.

When my dad died, he wasn’t organized, and it wasn’t fun. It was frustrating. And, he knew better. We all know better.

As tax day approaches, I’m proud to say mine are done and in. And, I’m sharing this more to encourage you to not let paperwork pile up. Don't put it off. Prioritize it as self care.

For most of my life I wasn’t organized in this way. After all, I grew up in the dance world, got a dance degree, then the yoga world. I didn't go to business school! I saved paperwork throughout the year to “deal with” 2 weeks before taxes were due. I didn’t stay organized throughout the year and each month, and I avoided these tasks like the plague, and it weighed on me. When I finally put getting my paperwork and finances in order as a priority, it literally changed my life.

I feel like it’s so common to avoid this type of task (which is really just about being a grown up), that it has become accepted. I don’t know anyone who enjoys doing the work to get their paperwork, finances and affairs in order, but there is so much satisfaction in completing the tasks that we don’t like to do. Even more satisfaction perhaps, than completing the tasks we do like to do.

So, if you’ve put off your paperwork, your finances, and your behind the scenes organization of your life, I encourage you to change that now. Even if you don’t get to the gym, have to eat frozen pizza and let your morning breathing practices go for a week.

Having your house in order, literally, is self care. I wish I’d realized this earlier. It would have saved me a ton of stress myself, and in my marriage.

Now, I must say, I feel proud around tax time and it isn’t some dramatic scramble at the last minute. It’s still stressful because they’re taxes, but without the drama.

Trust me on this. If you’ve been a paperwork procrastinator, change. You’ll feel a new sense of satisfaction. It’s so worth changing.

Until next time, take good care of yourself...and it may need to be in a different way than you're used to! XO, Jamie