we may learn how to care for ourselves." Socrates
"What do you mean they don't care for themselves? Why wouldn't they?" "They take time for themselves? How do they do it?" Over the course of time I have found that people often find themselves in either one or the other camp. They can't imagine not taking time for themselves or they can't imagine what it would be like to take time for themselves. Which one are you? Or are you like me? Is it something you often think about and sometimes do? I am getting ready to teach a course to a group of women who spend quite a bit of time taking care of others. I hope that this course will help them not only to help others but will also remind them how important self-care is in their own lives.
As I continue to research this important topic, it seems that everyone starts with eating healthy foods and exercising more. I agree that these two things can definitely be the foundation to a healthy life. But there are other areas that are important as well. Knowing yourself, as you are now, is definitely key to knowing how to take care of yourself. This summer self-care meant an entirely different thing to me than it means to me at this exact moment. My husband's illness became the focus of our world so while self-care was very very important it was often done in small amounts of time. As things are getting back to normal, I now can spend larger amounts of time on doing what I need to do for me. So for me flexibility is key. Knowing what I need, when I need it, and how I can incorporate self-care into my life often changes as the world around me changes. But the importance for self-care always stays the same.
We are all caregivers. It is important that we not only care for others but care for ourselves. The road to self-care begins with self-awareness. This week take a moment or two each day to think about what you need. And then spend a little more time figuring out how you can get it. Is it more time for yourself or more time with others? Do you need to cook a meal that not only tastes good but is healthy? Do you need to sleep in or get up early? Do you need to stretch more or be a little easier on yourself? As I learn more about this important topic, I hope to share questions and concepts that will make a difference in my life as well as yours. The road to self-care can be bumpy and I know it has many starts and stops but it is a road worth discovering and traveling. I would love to know how you plan to take care of yourself today.
When you share your gifts and talent with the world, magic happens. Let the magic begin!
Ginny
Working with women of all ages to find ways to take care of themselves is only one of the things that I love to do as a creativity/positivity coach. If working with a coach is something that you have often thought about but have not taken the steps to do, this might be the time. Just send me an email and we can set up a time to talk! I would love to meet you. [email protected]