5 Self-Care Lessons from Gray Whales
These great mammals can teach us so much about taking care of ourselves!
Hello, joyful community!
This weekend, I petted several gray whales. Whale birthing season is in full force in Baja, one of the few parts of the world where whales feel safe enough to come into contact with humans.
Gray whales are smart and curious beings. As I interacted with them and learned interesting facts from our whale tour guide, I realized that these mammals can teach us so much about life and self-care.
In this issue: Five self-care life lessons we can learn from the great gray whale, an invitation to work with me, and why breaks are important for your brain.
5 Self-Care Lessons from Gray Whales
Lesson #1: Spend time in your sanctuary.
Every year, gray whales leave Alaska's frigid waters and migrate to Mexico for the winter months to mate and give birth to their calves in a safe space.
For a few months of the year, mothers can let their guards down as these lagoons in Baja California, Mexico, create an enclosed area not accessed by creatures that can harm their babies, like orcas or sharks.
So, instead of spending time fending off predators, mothers are able to spend time bonding with their new calves, teaching them about their environment and helping them grow strong enough to swim back north.
Baja lagoons are spaces where whales can simply be and rest without having to worry about constant swimming against currents or defending themselves and their offspring.
🐋 What is YOUR version of a safe “Baja Lagoon” where you can let your guard down, rest, and be most yourself?
The migrating behavior of whales to the warmer, safe waters of Baja can remind us to find the spaces and people in our lives with whom we feel safe and where we’re able to rest without having to "swim" against the current.
Lesson #2: Breathe with intention.
When we approached the whale sanctuary, our guide pointed to a sleeping whale. As it slept, it floated on the surface without moving and its spout was exhaling at regular intervals. As it turns out, whales are able to stay in place as they sleep.
I also learned that, unlike humans, whales are voluntary sleepers. This means that half of their brain is awake at any given time during their sleep cycle, switching back and forth between which part of the brain sleeps and which one breathes. This means that every breath whales take is intentional, whether they’re awake or asleep.
🐋How many intentional deep breaths have you taken today?
The intentional breathing of whales at any given time can remind us to inhale oxygen deeply and fully throughout the day, nourishing our bodies and clearing our brains of cobwebs and anxious thoughts.
Lesson #3: Go play!
One of my favorite interactions with the whales was when some of them would twirl in circles for us, almost as if showing off their swimming skills. Many of them nudged their noses up close to us so we could reach out and pet them. Some of them darted back and forth under our boat and one of them even had fun lightly nudging our boat around.
As it turns out, whales play like this, not only for entertainment but also to ensure their survival. Playful behaviors like rolling on the surface help whales improve their motor skills and problem-solving ability.
🐋How can you spend more time playing today?
Whale play time can remind us to be more childlike and play too, so we can stimulate our brains and improve our moods. Anything that triggers your curiosity and feels playful counts as “play”!
Lesson #4: Take up space.
Gray whales are enormous and awe-inspiring. Many of them grow up 49 feet long and weigh up to 90,00 lbs! Gray whales don’t only take up literal space, but they also are breathtaking to observe.
Whales don’t:
Apologize for their size
Fret over their imperfect skin
Stay hidden in corners while their peers play
Keep quiet
Whales simply are the way they are, taking up whatever space they need to be themselves.
🐋How can you take up space?
The way that whales take up space without apology can remind us to also take up the space we deserve in our own lives by embracing who we are and sharing our voices and opinions with self-love and confidence.
Lesson #5: Let something go.
As we played with whales near our boat, I could also observe a few whales breaching in the distance. As it turns out, one of the reasons whales propel themselves out of the water in this peculiar way might be to scratch off itchy lice on their skin.
Some of these lice travel on whales in barnacles. These barnacles attach to whales’ skin as a transportation mechanism so lice can grow and feed without washing away.
While barnacles don’t harm the whales, they sure weigh a lot - up to 1,000 lbs of barnacles can travel on one whale. That’s a heck of a lot of weight to be lugging around. No wonder whales need to breach and scratch stuff off!
🐋What are you carrying around with you that you can let go?
Who can you forgive?
What worry can you release?
What thoughts aren’t serving you?
The breaching behavior of whales to shake off uncomfortable, itch-inducing barnacles can remind us to do a bit of “breaching” of our own, shaking off “weight” that doesn’t serve us.
Whales are magnificent animals that can teach us so much about the ocean, the environment, and also about taking care of ourselves.
Today:
Spend time in the sanctuary that helps you feel safe and like you can be most yourself
Take a few deep breaths
Find time to play
Take up space by being yourself
Let something go
Did this article entertain you or make you think? Let me know how by leaving a comment or a like!
Let’s work together!
Are you ready to go after your most joyful life and career? One of the themes we’ll explore through our work is self-empathy, the ability to take care of ourselves first so we can then care for the things outside of us, like our careers and our relationships.
Book a Discovery Coaching call here.
I’ll be back next week with more thoughts, questions, and joyful tidbits. Until then, I leave you with this:
Taking breaks throughout the day is critical for your self-care. Here’s a fascinating image of what your brain looks like when you take breaks from meetings versus when you don’t.