With only a few days left until I head for Miraval Arizona and Cheryl Richardson‘s Self Care for the Sensitive Soul event, I have been reflecting a lot on how much more self care I do today than three years ago! There is no comparison! Honestly, if someone had told me even a year ago that I’d be going to Arizona for 5 days without my kids to replenish and recharge myself in luxury, I wouldn’t have believed it! But the reality is, I am, and I am so grateful that I show myself radical self love like this today! There is simply NO COMPARISON to the way I felt before – exhausted, low energy, fearful, pessimistic and victimized – and the way I feel now – enthusiastic, energized, positive, bright and empowered!
So how did I do it? It’s going to take more than one blog post to answer that, but I’ll start by saying this radical change did not happen overnight. It has been a series of small steps which have led to a big shift. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say.
One of the first things I did for myself was start taking daily walks. Not with my daughter in the stroller and not with my husband. Just thirty solid minutes with me, myself and I. Eventually, I would purchase a gym membership (actually, my husband purchased it and after months I finally decided to take advantage of it) and it is one of the best investments I have ever made! But before I was at the point of feeling comfortable enough to spend that kind of money on myself, I started with the walks. They did a world of good for me not only on a physical level but, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, too.
Another thing I did for myself early on was start a journal. I had always loved writing but somewhere along the line I had convinced myself I didn’t have time to write or maybe it was that I didn’t feel I had anything worthy to say. Either way, I knew deep-down that neither were true. And I was ready for a shift. While I couldn’t fathom coming up with 30 minutes a day to write, I did feel comfortable committing to 10 minutes. And that is where I began.