According to Alexandra Elle, Self-Care Can Be As Simple As Writing a Note

By
Kate A
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Alexandra Elle is committed to self-healing, a worthy goal she hopes to pass on to her many (many!) followers. With more than 650k followers on Instagram alone, her mission is to build a community around self-care practices through literature and language.

It all starts with a simple note – a reminder that you are worth it. Sharing quotes and mantras that are scribbled on tiny notes, she explores the way journaling can help you understand yourself better. She also teaches workshops and retreats centered around assisting others in finding their voices through storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing.

“A lot of people believe that self-care has to be expensive and lavish, but it doesn’t,” she told Hello Giggles. “It can mean something as simple as making sure that you take five minutes to decompress every day. Take time to breathe. We are moving so quickly that sometimes we don’t even realize we’re breathing! Remember to be here and be present—that’s a non-negotiable for me. It really is amazing what taking five minutes—or whatever you can spare—just to be present can do for the rest of your day.”

“For me, self-care teaches that I can pour into myself just as much as I pour into others,” Elle explains. “In fact, it means that in order to put the most love and care towards others that I can, I must take care of myself first.” Start the new decade on the right foot:

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Whew! This was a big lesson for me in the 2010s. It was more than a challenge. For a good two years I kept trying to grow AND hold on to folks that weren’t. I kept trying to bring people with me who weren’t ready to change. I was scared to evolve alone—but that’s what I needed. . . I found who I was in some pretty gloomy moments. And when I emerged, I was ready to meet likeminded folks, my now husband came into my life, and my life’s work started to come to fruition. My chosen family and sister-friends (also) started to form. And, best of all, I discovered what it meant to STAND deeply in self-trust. . . I learned what it meant to let people go lovingly, and that loving them from a distance was alright. I learned that being alone isn’t always synonymous with being lonely. I learned that what I wanted mattered and to value myself on a deeper level. . . I’m ready to see what the next 10 years will teach me. I feel blessed to be here — on the other side of pain. Finding my joy in the 2010s was life changing. . . Community: What did the last 10 years teach you? Is there a lesson that really stood out? . . My virtual course starts on 1/5. The registration cart is open until 1/1. Quite a few have been gifting the course for the holidays and it’s pretty epic to see! We also have a global community which is wild and amazing to me. Sign up to join us at the link in my bio.

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In my virtual self-care session, “New Year, Better You” (link in bio) we are going to be talking about this in depth and doing an awesome writing exercise to shift, adjust, and create healthy boundaries (in work and life and relationships). . . Today, my sense of self, peace of mind and understanding starts and ends with me. No matter how long it took, or how many hurdles I will face along the way, my foundation is set, my healthy boundaries are built and I am fulfilled. My hope is that NYBY encourages you to access the same. . . We all deserve to come home to ourselves and be happy with what we have manifested. It took a while for me to understand that creating healthy/flexible boundaries was necessary for my growth — we will be discussing that, too. . . Community: 2020 is in 10 days! How are y’all feeling about stepping into a new decade? . . The course starts on 1/5. The registration cart is open until 1/1. Quite a few have been gifting the course for the holidays and it’s pretty epic to see!

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Happy Monday! Here’s an affirmation chart to start your week. Lately I’ve been leaning super deep into “I am learning as I grow.” Giving myself grace has been challenging over the past couple of months—but I’m getting better! Honoring my duality is a constant practice when finding new ways to self-care as a work from home parent. . . Tomorrow I’m being induced. Ready or not, our new baby girl is coming and will be here before the end of the week (pray for us). Our unit is becoming a family of 5! And while I’m so excited to meet this new kiddo, I’m also a bit mortified at how our new life with 3 kids, two being only 20 months apart, will look. There’s not enough preparing in the world for this. We are trusting as we change, and learning as we grow. . . I share this to say, no matter what shift you’re going through or preparing for, you are brave enough to make the shifts. Be it in parenthood, career, relationships, grief, or beyond—you got this! We got this. As you evolve, remember who you are. 🙏🏾🙌🏾 . . If you want a wearable reminder, new affirmation tees can be found at the link in my bio. My books and journals can also be found on my website, for those wondering. . . Community: Leave your I AM | AS I below. I’m looking forward to reading them.

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Notes on Breaking: A lesson that I carry with me is that breaking isn't bad. And as good as it feels to be whole, it's important to note, that even in feelings of being complete, there will be moments of chipping & shattering along the way. No one talked to me about the beauty in brokenness, in finding peace in the pieces, or the magic in the mess. I would not know joy if I did not experience the things that hurt me. Often, we glorify the healing without fully acknowledging the journey to that path. . . I made a list the other day of how breaking grounded and shaped me. Below are a few things that stood out in my journal: . . 1. Breaking taught me to stand in my vulnerability. 2. Breaking taught me to lean into my power and stop shrinking my self-worth. 3. Breaking taught me that rebuilding is laborious but that I am resilient enough to do the job. . . As you move through the week, acknowledge your brokenness and commit to being patient with your process. You don't have to be "put together" right away. There's no rush to fix things. When you're ready, you'll start your rebuild, be it big or small.

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