Taking Care of Yourself?

Taking care of yourself is a given, right?  It seems so obvious, but it is remarkable how many of us can take excellent care of those we love, but have trouble taking care of our self.  Must have been something in the water...    Right.   More likely, it was something in the messages that got internalized in childhood.  Somehow, we came into adulthood without concrete knowledge:

• That it is essential that we take care of ourself
• That we deserve the same care/respect as anyone else
• That it's up to us to ensure it
• How to do it

Sometimes I get an incredulous look when I suggest that you take as good a care of yourself as you would your own child.  You might confess you don't believe you deserve it, or you might not even know how.

So here is what I mean by taking care of yourself.   

• Is your body healthy?  Do you feed it nutritious food and plenty of water?  Do you stretch and strengthen your muscles, and do you give it enough rest? 
• How is your inner life?  Are you positive in your outlook?  Do you nourish your spirit?  Your intellect? Do you feed your mind healthy information?  Are you at peace?  If not, take a closer look with curiosity rather than judgment.  What do you need?
• How do you manage stress?  This is big.  Too much stress is DISTRESS and causes more problems.  Go for EUSTRESS.  More on this another time soon. 
• How well do you take care of yourself in your relationships?  This is a hard one for some of us.  We are so habitual about caring for others that we put ourselves last.  The key word here is habit.  How do you change a habit?  One behavioral choice at a time til it's automatic.
• How is your social life?  Do you get enough time with those you enjoy?  Do you have FUN? Do you LAUGH??? 
• Do you teach others to treat you respectfully, by respecting yourself and others?
• Do you need to set boundaries with those who don't respect you?
• Do you have balance in your financial life?
• Is your home clean and well maintained?   Is it time to de-clutter?
• Do you enjoy your work, and if not, what would help?

What is working, and what needs to change?  What would it take to create the change you need toward taking better care of yourself? 

Comments

[Holly]

How come I always feel like you're writing your posts DIRECTLY to me?? Thanks for this... ;)

[Jeannie]

Glad you like! We can all use a reminder, right?