The early morning sun peeks through my purple curtains these days with a certain kind of spring morning hue.
With the sound of the dawn chorus chirping outside my window, I stir, sensing the break of a new day. The intoxicating fragrances of spring stoke my senses, and the lush green foothills of Boulder are beckoning me to come and play.
For me spring brings busy weeks of parenting teens through final exams, travel planning, family dinners, school performances, creek festivals, memorial day picnics, graduations, work and friends.
It’s full, it’s dynamic, and the weeks can fly by faster then ever.
Do you make time for everyone else, but you?
Self care – the art of listening to our body’s needs and wants from a deep soul knowledge of the self – is simple yet complex.
Self care is simple because it is applicable to humans across all times and necessary to our fundamental human needs.
Self care is complex because in today’s world, we are most often overwhelmed by getting everything done in our days, to then fall into our beds at the end of the day exhausted.
Spring brings fresh energy, possibility and the chance to begin anew. Now is your time to cultivate and create all that you need to THRIVE in your life.
You will know you’ve recognized what you need when you feel the flame of excitement, inspiration and passion growing in your heart and maybe you will even feel a sigh of relief.
Think of having an afternoon nap, taking a warm bath, having time to read your favorite book, a walk in nature, or sipping tea with a friend in the garden. Self care doesn’t have to take up much time, but even just 5-15 minutes a day will change everything for you.
5 things that happen when you practice self care DAILY
- You start to prioritize yourself (halleluiah)
Just like any other habit, once you get your self care rolling you gain momentum.
For the next week, what would happen if you made it a point to prioritize yourself every day?
I know this can sound edgy, especially if you have small children, you do service work, or your friends and family really NEED you.
The thing to remember (and this has helped me a lot) is that we aren’t much good when our “CUP” is empty. Try filling up your own cup first, and watch how giving back to your circle of life becomes easier.
- You feel more energized
When we take better care of ourselves, we nourish ourselves better, and this creates a surge of energy in our often tired, overwhelmed, and busy lives.
Exercise is energizing. Naps are energizing. Relaxation and down time are energizing. Gardening and nature are energizing. The sky is the limit on how YOUR self care looks.
I promise you that dedicating 5-15 minutes a day (or more) to self care will improve your quality of life and your energy throughout the day.
- You get sick less
When we practice self care daily, our immune systems are less taxed, we are more rested, and we attune to what we need to stay healthier. Your daily self care has a direct impact on your health today, and also on the future of your health.
Simply Psychology states “When we’re stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why we are more susceptible to infections.”
Try thinking of self care as your essential “Vitamin S”
- Your relationships improve
Not only will your relationship to yourself improve, but also, when you are feeling more connected and balanced in yourself, your relationship with others flows more smoothly.
We are better listeners, better mothers, better lovers and better friends when we are well resourced, rested, and harmonious with our day-to-day life.
If you have a hard time doing it for you, do it for the others in your life
- You fine tune your intuition
The art of listening to yourself gets easier and easier with practice.
Your body is always your ally.
When we move through life so fast, always trying to take care of everyone else, we loose the connection to our inner voice of intuition and wisdom.
Don’t worry –YOU are still there.
Tuning into what we need is an important practice for health and well-being – body, mind and spirit.
Eventually, this inner voice of wisdom will guide us gracefully to knowing exactly what we need to be in balance. We begin to trust. We take better care of our beautiful selves, and our quality of life escalates to new levels.
Self care is an act of SELF-LOVE