I recently shared a business plan with a group of fellow entrepreneurs/business owners. In it, I mentioned that a big part of my mission is teaching “extreme self-care” to women juggling a busy life.
My friend Jenny wrote to me, saying that the idea of extreme self-care really spoke to her (probably because she’s working her tail off to build her AMAZING organic gardening business, Jenny Grows!!).
And it occurred to me that, as much as I talk and write about self-care, I rarely (if ever) mention what self-care actually means.
Yes, self-care could be eating well and exercising. It could be going to the doctor for regular check-ups, taking vitamins every day, or getting more sleep.
The point of self-care (in my opinion) is to support your ability to achieve your life goals. And it’s as personal as food and exercise is “bio-individual.”
When you look at self-care more broadly, it often has nothing to do with food or exercise.
I’ve written about “self-care triage” in the past…what to do when life gets so busy that you move yourself to the bottom of your priority list (temporarily, of course). If that’s where you are, check out this post.
Today, I want to take a step back and help you identify “high mileage self-care activities” – the little things that go a long way towards helping you live with more ease.
In a recent blog post, women’s leadership expert Tara Sophia Mohr asked “What kinds of self-care truly feel like self-care to you (and not like a self-care to-do list)?”. I love this question and Tara’s distinction between self-care as a chore vs. self-care as a way to maintain balance in your life, even in the face of stress.
With that in mind, jot down your answers to these four questions:
- What makes you take a breath of RELIEF – a big, ol’ belly breath *sigh* – as soon as you do it?
- What creates a sense of SPACE in your life…room to breath, think, or just be?
- What activities boost your ENERGY or increase your FOCUS during your work day?
- What leaves you feeling more RELAXED and CENTERED, sometimes all day long?
Now that you’ve got that figured out, tell me in the comments…Which of these things can you do in just a few minutes almost every day?
I could make a list of self-care ideas for you (you can read about a few of my favorites here, if you like); but what works for me may not work for you.
So share what you came up with in the comments. It will help you get clear about your “high mileage self-care activities” and it might also help someone else find theirs. 🙂
P.S. Self-care and managing stress is a huge part of successfully losing weight, but so is taking control of how much sugar you eat. (I’m a recovering sugar junkie, so I know of what I speak 😉 If losing a few pounds is one of your health goals, 10 Days to Sugar Freedom will get you started (and make controlling your sugar cravings waaayyyy easier than you might imagine). 🙂 Get all the details here.
xo,
