Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Self Care Friday

I have posted about Self Care Friday before, and with good reason. Self care is a passion of mine, something I believe lies at the foundation of so many of our stresses. I know from whence I speak let me tell you. I've gotten myself into less than stellar moods and when I took the time to look at my situation, there was always an element of forgetting to take care of me. I have tried to keep Fridays sacred for self care time for quite some time. This doesn't mean I don't work, I still do my coaching but I try to keep some flexibility in my day to allow for the guidance of my inner self.

This past Friday, I had a truly outstanding call with a client followed by an inspiring call with a coach buddy of mine. I then spent some time writing some material and then headed out for some errands. The fun thing about this and the pampering aspect, was I didn't feel compelled to finish and hurry back to work. At one point my objective was to buy some nice bread for dinner. Bread for me is not necessarily the staff of life. I can take or leave a slice of regular bread. But really nice, aromatic freshly baked bread, oh my goodness, that makes for a nice meal. I went to the Nugget, a more upscale grocery store here, and had the best time just browsing. I got a lovely garlicky bread, then wandered, admiring the ice cream flavors, reviewing the magazine section, smelling and trying on the lotions in the natural foods section. It was a sensual experience and it made me feel I was being good to me -- reward for a week of working hard. The bread was a perfect accompaniment to the roasted vegetables I made, sweet potatoes, onion, red potatoes, broccoli and turnips, along with tender tilapia. Later in the evening I enjoyed a cup of fragrant tea.

These little gestures are really all it takes: an ability to listen to your inner voice and what it is seeking, and a space of allowing yourself that time, GUILT FREE.

Please let me know what your favorite self-care rituals might be. If you find it a struggle to take that time, let me know that too. I'd love to support you in your journey to becoming your best and happiest self.

4 comments:

Good Vibe Coach said...

Oh my gosh, Cindie, this is SUCH an important topic!! I've been delving into this one a lot lately myself, as I researched it for a new e-product I put together.

Extremely well done! Thanks for spreading the good word and doing it with such inspiration. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Jeannette you sweetie you. It is something very near and dear to my heart and something I enjoy sharing with others. I appreciate your kind words. ;)

Unknown said...

great article and self care is one of our most important functions...here is a suggestion for another tool for self care...Vision Map Videos....keep writing great articles for us to grow by....

darlene
http://visionmapvideo.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Thanks Darlene for your comments. And yes, I love using visioning as a great self-care tool. So many applications and it uses our creative nature. All good. ;)