These wise words appeared on one of my social media feeds this morning. With the end to the Spring quarter rapidly approaching and stress levels ever increasing , it felt like a serendipitous reminder that self-care in whatever form is needed must be a “have to do”, never a “nice to do.

When things get hectic, as happens for so many of us, the first thing to fall of my “must do” list are the routines such as gym sessions, walks, no screen time, that I have carefully cultivated in less busy periods. I become like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland: I’m late, I’m late. And, while I get all my work done, it’s often at a significant personal cost to my well being, which takes endless time and energy to repair. I see the White Rabbit syndrome all around me, friends, family, colleagues, those with whom I’m learning.

Reading these words this morning was a much needed poke that I have to find a way to escape the White Rabbit syndrome by prioritizing self-care. So, I’m committing to one self-care action a day for the rest of 2019, with self-care to be defined however feels right that morning. I’m naming this personal accountability challenge “Banish White Rabbit”. If get tempted to allow the White Rabbit to become disruptive, I’ll be reminding myself of the alternative, less desirable outcome.

And now, I’m wondering if any one else, particularly BAS-AM program members, are interested in joining me on the mission to “Banish White Rabbit”? The support would be most welcome.