The Importance of Self-Care

​​If someone would have told me when I was a young woman what a HUGE impact self-care would have on my well-being and in my life, it would have saved me years of stress, hardships, feeling hopeless and searching for the answer to many of my unhappiness and discontents. Since no one did, it took me about 30 years to come to this conclusion on my own. Self-care is VITAL to a happy, healthy and more fulfilling life.

Throughout my life I have exercised and gone to the gym. I thought that was self-care, and it is. It’s self-care when it comes to looking fit and, I’ll call it, being “body healthy.” Self-care is so much more than that, though, and it really begins in your mind and heart. Self-care is taking care of your mental, your emotional, your spiritual and your physical HEALTH.

Let me tell you a story.

In my 20s I became a successful business woman very quickly. I was in the tourism industry in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and was making a lot of money for a girl in her twenties, thousands of dollars a month. Thriving in that area of my life. Doing great. But deep down there was this discontent or uneasiness. I had a great life, a husband I loved, three beautiful children, a career, money, a big circle of friends, a business… but yet there was something missing. At times I was like a match ready to explode. When I got married it got even worse. I loved my husband very much, but being married, and working, and raising a family added more stress. Any thing (or everything) made me MAD. If a shoe dropped, I would yell. I would scream. I would make a big scene and throw a fit or a temper tantrum. I didn’t even know why. I was stressed and didn’t have an outlet. I would go to work each day and come home to be with my husband and kids, and I repeated that same behavior over and over. Not all the time but often enough that there was definitely a pattern.

Fast forward a few years later, I realized that I had never really taken time for myself as part of my daily routine. It became clear that taking time for me was the missing component and a key to de-stressing my life. Now, getting a little “me-time” every day is a non-negotiable for me. Just a few moments to really center my energy and prioritize myself has created so much ease, harmony, peace and serenity in my life.

Over time, I created a morning self-care routine that really works for me and keeps me centered. I’ve listed the six steps I follow each day for you here. I choose to follow this process early in the morning, just after I’ve woken up.

Step #1: As soon as I am aware that I am waking up, before I even open my eyes, I pray. I pray to my God and thank Him for this brand new baby day. I thank Him for this brand new opportunity to be alive and healthy. If you don’t resonate with the word “God”, that’s ok. You can substitute Universe or Infinite Power.

Step #2: I think about three things I’m grateful for. Today they were: I’m grateful for my health. I’m grateful for my children. I’m grateful for my amazing husband. They can be different each day.

Step #3: I take three deep breaths. Slowly inhaling through the nose and out the mouth.

Step #4: I meditate. Now, meditation can come in different forms. You can even meditate while you’re driving. Who knew? To me, meditating is just having no thoughts, connecting with your Higher Power. If a thought comes, I acknowledge it and I let it go. I connect with the peace and serenity of a new day and I connect with God. If it’s two minutes, that’s ok. If it’s three minutes, that’s ok. Maybe it’s five minutes. The longer the better.

Step #5: I read something inspirational or spiritual. It can be short and sweet.

Step #6: I journal. I will talk more about it in another post, but journaling, for me, absolutely helps me set myself up for an amazing day.

This process can happen at any time in the day, but doing it bright and early in the morning sets you up for success in a truly profound way. These steps are always available to you when you need a reset.

When I take the time to fully lean into these six self-care steps, and this doesn’t have to be a long process, I feel like I’m ready to be a Superwoman and show up as my most amazing self. Whatever comes my way, I have the strength, the courage and the wisdom to get through my day with ease. Thanks to this practice, I’m not the “rager” I used to be anymore. I am loving, happy, serene, kind, productive and present for myself and others. The more I practice these steps, the more I change, and the more my closest family benefit from it too. As a result, they've seen change in their own lives. So, if you want a little more self-care in your life, I invite you to try this process on and make it your own!