5 Unexpected Lessons in Self-Care Learned from Chopping Wood

I always look forward to chopping a cord or two of wood for winter. It’s something I love to do and a part of my intentional self-care routine. What I didn’t expect was for it to also teach me some lessons in self-care.

That may sound weird to you that I enjoy chopping wood as I know most people think of it as a chore. To me, it’s anything but that. I guard my pile and make sure no one helps me with it. It’s mine! It’s for me to move, chop, stack in the woodshed, and then bring into the house.

Self-Care Comes in Many Forms

I enjoy chopping wood for the exercise. But it’s so much more than that. It’s become a meditation. It’s alone time. It’s time to reflect and think. It’s time to listen to my “happy music” playlist. It’s my time. It’s apparently a time for me to learn some lessons in self-care too.

It’s extremely satisfying to hit a round of wood with an ax and hear it crack and then watch it split down the middle or watch the pieces go flying and know that I did that, that I whittled it down with just an ax and my own strength. It also doesn’t hurt that I can see my accomplishment as the wood pile grows larger and the round pile grows smaller until it disappears.

5 Lessons in Self-Care

Chopping all this wood has taught me a few things that I have been applying to life and consider lessons in self-care.

1. Take a break when you need one.

Sometimes you need to take a break or step away from something for a time and let it sit. I had a round like this. I was determined to get it to split, but I kept whacking it and whacking it and it wasn’t splitting.

After it got dark, I decided I had to give up. Well, not give up, but put it aside for another day. The next time I chopped wood, I brought this round back out. After a good workout, I discovered why I had so much trouble with it and learned my second lesson in self-care.

2. Do the best you can with the knowledge you have.

Sometimes something is going on in a situation that you can’t see that is affecting the outcome. With my round of wood, something was going on underneath the bark that I couldn’t see, and I needed to change how I approached it.

When I finally got the round to come apart, I discovered why I had so much trouble. It never split because there were a bunch of branch shoots coming out from the center that held it together.

Once I changed my approach and started whittling it down, I was able to chop the outside off and chop it into small enough pieces to where I could call it good. Even though it never split, I was able to make the pieces small enough to fit in our woodburning stove. That was enough.

3. Moving on isn’t quitting.

If something isn’t working, it’s okay to switch gears and try a new approach or work on something else. After learning the first two lessons in self-care, I began applying this one.

Now when I pull out a round and can’t get it to split after a few good hits, I decide if I want to change up my approach and start whittling it down from the outside or if I want to put it aside and grab a new round. It depends on my mood and the energy I have at the time.

If I haven’t been chopping for long and really want a good workout, I’ll usually keep at it. But if I’ve already been chopping for a while and just want the satisfaction of splitting wood, I will switch the round out without feeling like I’m giving up. I know I’ll split it another day.

4. Don’t make things harder than they need to be.

Use your strengths or what’s given to you, so you don’t have to waste energy. Even though I’m chopping wood to get exercise, I also want to be as productive as I can be.

When a round already has a split in it, you better believe I’m going to use it. I hit the ax as close to the existing split as I can. These are some of the most satisfying hits, especially when my aim is spot on. The resulting crack and flying wood is so gratifying.

5. Get creative.

By chopping wood, I’ve created some alone time. I put in my earbuds and put on my “happy music” playlist and get to work. Not only does this improve my mood—I get to listen to music that makes me happy and hit something with an ax (need I say more?), which helps me get my frustrations out—but it also allows me time to be by myself. And think. And ponder. And did I say be by myself? That’s huge as a mom, so I’m saying it twice.

With COVID, I homeschooled my teenager last year (we had a great time, but she missed being around other kids and decided to go back to in-school learning this year), so my alone time was pretty much non-existent. She stayed up later, as teenagers do, so I didn’t even get time once both girls were in bed as my teenager frequently went to bed after I did.

Prior to COVID and homeschooling, I had time during the day while taking a break from work. Even though my husband works from home as well, he’s out in his shop most of the day and I’m inside at my work area. In hindsight, I’d take this time back as my teenager has reached the switching point and rarely leaves her room. Oh, the phases of parenthood.

I knew last year that her wanting to spend all her time with me and watch shows with me wouldn’t last. But I wasn’t getting my normal dose of alone time, something I enjoy and crave. By getting outside to chop wood, I was able to create my much needed alone time. This allowed me to fully enjoy the time I did get with my daughter and share some of my favorite movies with her.

Think Outside the Box

You may not have to chop wood, or if you do, you may not enjoy it. That’s okay.

Whatever your situation is, if you enjoy and crave alone time as part of your self-care routine, there’s a way to get it. You just might have to take a different approach to find something that will work for you.

Find something that will allow you to get at least five minutes where you can do what you want and your kids know they can’t disturb you unless there’s a real emergency—I tell my kids this means someone is bleeding, throwing up, passed out, can’t breathe, or is facing some other life-threatening thing.

It doesn’t always work, but when I’m swinging an ax, they generally leave me alone and give me a wide berth.

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