The Care and Feeding of You

Many of us have some type of healthy routine that we do each day. We wash our face, brush our teeth, take our multivitamins and hopefully get to the gym a few times a week. But what we realized years ago is that those things only take care of one aspect of ourselves, and to truly live a happy and fulfilling life, we must go to a much deeper level of self-care. We call this, Extreme Self-Care. And girrl, we need it now, more than ever!

In our Get Up Girl…Your Time is Now –Coaching Group, we encourage women to begin exploring what Extreme Self-Care means for each of them. Because we are all different, have different lives, how we take care of ourselves can look a variety of ways. It can also vary from day to day and week to week, especially if our jobs and families play a role in how we spend our time. What’s important is that we incorporate all the levels that define who we are and what it is to be human, i.e. our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual selves. By taking care of our selves this way, we nurture our ‘whole’ being and support a greater sense of balance and peace.

Considering that many of us are dealing with more stress due to the current economy, or changes in our jobs and careers, taking good care of ourselves is more important than ever. It is our foundation, giving us the energy and strength we need to overcome challenges and flourish in our daily lives.

How to create your own Extreme Self-Care Routine:

Ask yourself these two questions for each of the 4 levels: Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, and Spiritually, and write down your answers.

1. How can I best take care of myself (physically, …etc.) in my life right now?

2. What can I realistically incorporate into my life this week?
Remember to get specific: What & When?

We strongly recommend that you keep your routine very easy and do-able. Start by picking only one new activity for each level. It’s better to keep your routine simple and consistent, rather than trying to do many things only once.

Examples:

Physical: I take a walk between 7 – 7:30am, at least 3 x this week.

Emotional: At the end of the day, I acknowledge myself for what I accomplished.
At least one thing, for 4 or more days this week.

Mental: I read my affirmations in the mirror, at least 5 x this week.

Spiritual: I meditate after lunch for 5 to 20 minutes, at least 5 x this week.

Below are some suggestions for each level, to help inspire ideas for your own personal Extreme Self-care routine.

Physical:
Exercise
Improve your nutrition
Drink more water
Sleep & rest
Massage or body work, etc.

Emotional:
Speak kindly to yourself.
Forgive yourself for any judgments or upsets.
Acknowledge and appreciate yourself and the things you do.
Do things you enjoy and make you happy.
Focus on being grateful.

Mental:
Becoming more aware of your thoughts, – negative and positive.
Use positive affirmations that support what you want for yourself and your life.
Read uplifting and inspiring books and material.
Learn something new or interesting.

Spiritual:
Create space for quiet time, meditation and reflection.
Walk or be in nature.
Attend a church, synagogue, or other religious service.
Write in a journal
Creative expression

We always enjoy learning from our readers new ways to take care of ourselves. We would love to hear about your Self-Care routine, how it’s going for you and what you have observed and learned. Email us at info@getupgirl.org.

Our next Get Up Girl, 9 Week Women’s Coaching Group starts May 6, 2009. For more information about Get Up Girl, and our unique women's coaching programs and workbook, go to getupgirl.org, or email us at info@getupgirl.org.

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