Take Care of Yourself to Nourish
Your Dreams and Body

Take good care of yourself. Remember that amazing best friend living in your head? Well, she is also the one who takes care of you.

Make sure you nurture not only your dream, but your body, spirit, and mind. Treat yourself kindly and do something nice for yourself and you will have even more positive energy for everything in your life. And it definitely boosts your confidence to feel cared for and loved by yourself. Doing things ONLY for others doesn’t set a good example for your kids or anyone in your life, nor is it fair to you. In fact, it might just make you a pretty unhappy camper.

When you take care of yourself as you take your life and dream actions. You're in this "best life" living for the long haul, so make progress while staying healthy and balanced.

Nurturing yourself care can include anything that is loving and pleasurable to you, for example:

• Some planned downtime (when you actually relax)
• A nature walk
• Go to bed early
• A bubble bath
• Read a novel
• Practice a hobby or craft you enjoy
• Put lotion on
• Dance or stretch
• Spend time in your garden
• Or anything that reminds you that you love yourself and that you deserve to be treated well

Take some time each day to do something just for you purely because you enjoy it. Make sure it is something that is not UNhealthy for you, however, as that defeats the point of being good to yourself.

Give yourself credit for all of the things you're doing. Don’t diminish what you’re undertaking or think it will be done quickly so you can just "push through" without any downtime. Be realistic. Depending on your dreams and goal, it might take a lot of work, require a lot of fears to be addressed, rallying help from other people, raising a lot of money, a lot of time, etc. You're putting in time, energy, thought, and work to make your dreams come true. Give yourself huge points for going for it!

And yet... I must add this in for those of us that can slip into martyr or pity party mode... don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill and think you need eons of downtime for every little task (c'mon now). People do amazing things every day in extreme circumstances and with significant obstacles (those stories that immediately humble us and remind us what little burdens we carry compared to some). Most of our dreams don’t fit that scenario. Ours are quietly humble day-to-day dreams but they are enormously important for us to pursue. It's part of what being alive and human is all about; moving forward, carrying out, living life. Listen to your body and pay attention to when you really do need to do something extra nice for yourself.

Making these life changes often involves lifestyle shifts so there needs to be room for self care. Time to take care of yourself, to recharge your batteries, and to give you some mental "space" between activities.

You are special. There is only one YOU. Take good care of this special you! Treat yourself as you would your dearest friend who is always there for you. She deserves it. (If this makes you uncomfortable, try to figure out why. Perhaps there is a limiting belief there that is not serving you well.)

For example, my friend, Arnicka, felt that allowing time for herself meant she was selfish or that she was not being a good Mom. On the contrary, what does not taking care of yourself say to others? That you feel you are unimportant and that it is not important to take care of oneself. Is that the message what we want for our children? Not so much. Plus, how much more will you have to offer the world in terms of energy, authenticity, enthusiasm, etc. if you allow yourself some downtime to treat yourself nicely?

Taking good care of yourself includes your sex life, regardless of whether or not you are currently in a relationship. Enjoy your sexuality. Appreciate yourself as a woman. Let more sensuality slip into your daily life. Little pleasures can make your day special and more fun. A long hot shower before bed, using your favorite perfume more often, truly savoring every bite of food, giving yourself a scalp massage. You deserve to feel good! And allowing yourself to FEEL gives you more energy, and certainly makes you feel more ALIVE, more fully present in the moment. Not only does that ground you more, but it reminds you that you are worth it and helps you feel more confident.

See Dr. Mia's site for wonderful information about fun, empowering sexuality for women.

And of course, the ultimate take care of yourself thing you can do is to sleep well. For heaven's sake, get enough rest! It is the foundation of good health upon which everything else builds upon.

We all work hard and life these days is often over-stimulating, harried, and stressful to our bodies and minds on every level. Making sure you set aside time to be good to yourself and to take care of YOU is so very important. You'll have more energy for your dreams and it makes life more fun.

Catch it when you find yourself pushing harder and harder to get more done without taking a break. (Ignoring your body like that can get you sick, so this is a bad habit worth breaking.) Take a little time out. Treat yourself with the respect you deserve and recognize when your body and mind are feeling overwhelmed and over stimulated.

Need a nudge? OK - I can do that. Stop what you are doing. Take a big deep breath. Good. Now go get a massage and tell them I sent you. Or, if you can't get away at the moment, identify what you need and get that — even if it's just five minutes away from your desk, or a walk up and down the stairs, or a few minutes sitting with your eyes closed. Create that buffer, that space cushion in your world that nourishes you from the inside out.

Take care of wonderful YOU!

Sleep Tips for Better Rest

Importance of Skilled Relaxation

Return from Take Care of Yourself to Confident Vision Living