Add JOY to Your Life With 6 Simple Self-Care Practices

Does your life feel like you're on a treadmill? 

You’re running and juggling, trying to take care of your family, the pets, your home, advance your career or grow your business (even at a time when we're adjusting and accommodating a global pandemic), giving to your community...

Plus, you have an ongoing list of self-improvements niggling your brain: 

• Workout~Get Stronger
• Lose weight~Get Healthier
• Meditate~Reduce Stress
• Eat Healthier~Live Longer
• Whiten teeth
• Smooth wrinkles
• Hydrate more
• Sharpen mind~Learn new skills
• Be kinder, more generous and helpful

And on and on.

And we wonder why it's SO hard to fit self-care into our lives! 

We wonder why it gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list - or worse...deleted from it entirely.  When we take our self-care off the list, what we're essentially doing is NOT Prioritizing ourselves and we can't pour from an empty cup.

What if a better way was possible?

Self-care shouldn't feel like it's nagging at you.It should feel rejuvenating and nurturing.

If your self-care routine feels like a burden, it’s probably because you’re trying to do too much. 

The Fix:  Simplify

Focus on developing a few healthy habits to help you love yourself every day and give you what you need.  Do this to be in the very best position to Win The Day - every day.

1. Start With A Dose of Introspection

Here’s how I prepare to take on the day: 

1. I wake up
2. Have breakfast & coffee and a glass of lemon water
3. Write in my journal: 3 things I'm grateful for.  Then I pick one thing I absolutely MUST accomplish in the day and write that down - My target for the day.

While it may be simple to catch up on the news or social media - reserve this time for focusing on how to make this day the most productive. 

I recommend this practice even if you'll need to get up 20-30 minutes earlier - that quiet, reflective time is priceless.

2. Nourish Your Healthy Body 1st

We really are what we eat!

If you want a healthy, strong body, make wise food choices - every time. 

• Hydrate with plenty of clean water
• Consume more fiber and vegetables
• Eliminate junk, sugar, processed foods
• Choose whole grains
• Limit coffee and alcohol (no need to give them up entirely)

Whenever possible, choose nutrient-packed, non-processed foods that you cook or prepare yourself. 

3. Move Your Body Next

We're designed to move and yet we spend so much time sedentary - behind a computer, at a desk, on the couch.

If getting your daily workout in is a challenge for you too...get it over with first thing.  

You'll feel better when you move your body - even if it's for 10 minutes - and you'll feel better once you've done something active for the day!

Don't have a whole hour to dedicate to a fitness routine?  

No problem - start smaller.  Try any of these for just 10 minutes in the morning to get your blood moving and clear out the cobwebs: 

• Put on some music. Dance & shake it, baby!
• Take the dog for a brisk walk
• On-the-spot stretches to get your muscled warmed up and your blood flowing 
• A stroll to the mailbox and back

4. Expand Your Mind

Make it your mission to learn something new every day. 

Seek out information about something that broadens your knowledge on a topic you're interested in. 

When we embrace being a student of life - for life, every day is an exciting opportunity to expand and grow.

• Be curious
• Be full of childlike wonder
• Pursue answers to your burning questions - find them.

Just because we left school doesn't mean we stop pursuing knowledge.  With the collective wisdom of humanity literally at our fingertips, take some time every day to learn.  If we're not growing, we're stagnating and dying.   

5. Nourish Your Soul

Make it a priority to cultivate the activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

Take this step beyond your daily routines. You may enjoy your job or developing your business, but it won’t always satisfy you.  Your work, profession, or business may even be a source of frustration.

You undoubtedly love your family, but they may not always be encouraging or understanding of what it is you want to achieve for yourself.  

For soul nourishment, what’s one thing you can do that will make you happy and renew your spirit today?

• Artwork
• Play an instrument
• Take up a hobby that lights you up
• Write
• Connect with a relative or a friend
• Enjoy some aromatherapy or hydrotherapy
• Book a monthly massage

What is it for you? What nourishes your soul? What makes you feel more joyful connected, or that you're making a significant difference in the world? 

Whatever it is, do more THAT this week. Schedule it right into your planner.  Make your soul nourishment a priority. Stay committed to it.

6. Be Compassionate With Yourself

Disappointment, emotional pain, letdowns, and even suffering are things we can't avoid - they're all part of our human experience. 

Acknowledge your struggles and your challenges and then embrace them with compassion. 

Compassion is the antidote.

With compassion, we can take the lessons of the experience and move forward - in spite of the discomfort and pain.  It's how we grow and become more resilient.  

Will we have scars?  Sure.  Will those pains heal with time?  Absolutely.  Even the worst of them.  Time is an incredible healer.   

If you do nothing else to love yourself today, start by giving yourself the gift of compassion.

Progress Not Perfection

Make this your new mantra for self-care:  Progress, not perfection. 

Take the pressure off yourself.

Find a gentle balance with your self-care regimen that supports your ongoing health of mind~body~soul.  Just a few healthy habits, practiced daily, weekly, and monthly will help you feel more balanced and in control. 

Let the turtle be your guide. 

Slow and steady wins the race.  And there really is no race anyway - only growth.

Until next time, I wish you incredible love and growth this month. 

Now it's your turn…

If you're feeling up to it, I'd love to hear from YOU. 

1. Which strategy will you commit to? 
2. Which do you already practice?
3. Which resonates with you the most and why?  
4. Which one will you DO today?

Leave your comments below and share your thoughts. 

A Gift For You:

If you'd like some help setting up a Self-Care practice that's right for you, contact her for your FREE 'Ready For More' Consultation.

By the end of it, you'll have

1. Crystal Clarity about what you'd like to achieve
2. A Customized Step-By-Step Action Guide
3. Some resources to help fit a Self-Care routine into your life no matter how busy your schedule is.

 About the Author:

Andrea Raco, is a Certified Success and Life Enrichment Coach, Founder of Coach for Life, and Curator of Gold Key Club ~ a private community for women on a mission to make a difference in the world with their unique talents and gifts.

Contact her at andrea@coachforlife.ca

Find out more here www.coachforlife.ca