Self-care takes many forms. What we know, is most of us do not take enough time off. We drink coffee to fuel our days and interrupt our nights. Self-care is the process of unwinding ourselves from the rat race and giving our bodies and our souls time to recharge, play, and be quiet.
What I would like to propose is: give your body and soul what it needs/craves. Try and make healthier choices if you decide a meal or snack is in your best interest. And then, let it go, move on. Keep going. Do a bit more, eat a bit healthier, sleep a bit more, play a lot more, and listen to what your soul and body tell you.
Men are animals. Women are less-than-truthful. You might be better served to work on your lifestyle and fitness more than your online dating profile.
Here's the truth: I can't make you happier. I can't give you energy at the end of your work week or workday. I can't feel sensual when the feedback from you is "tired, overwhelmed, frustrated."
Don't give up. Just because all of your previous relationships have failed, does not mean that the next date might be The One.
There is no bridge that's going to make our relationship work again, so my longing necessarily stayed in my own heart. There is no sense in sharing our desires and hopes when the other person is not available. It only makes it hurt worse.
So much of co-parenting is about negotiation and compromise. We no longer have the same loving emotional ties to our former partners. We no longer have to make their urgency and priorities our own.
There are plenty of single parents who use their kids to get out of almost every obligation. Even obligations to themselves, for say... exercise, dating, taking responsibility for their own actions. And I have been the dad who apologized for checking his phone when a text dinged while on a date.
If enthusiasm and authentic affection open the connection, what are the things that will keep our fires burning bright and burning in concert with one another?