By Bronwyn Ison
We hear the suggestions of living balanced and applying self care, but what exactly does this mean? Both could mean anything that requires you to do something kind for yourself and doesn’t allow you to feel overwhelmed and stressed. We are living in precariously accelerated times. Our fast paced lives rarely allow us to make time for ourselves. Plus, most of us find ourselves trapped doing more for others than we do for ourselves.
As an entrepreneur, single and busy mother to two teenage girls, I know first hand what is required of me. Day in and day out for more than a decade I’ve been blessed to provide for my family. It’s not always been easy. I’ve not always been able to provide self care for myself because I didn’t know what that looked like in my past. Plus, I was not in a headspace to even acknowledge I needed to help myself. Therefore, how do you know when you are in need of caring for you? Great question. I can almost guarantee you will miss the signs. Take a look at this short list of a lack of self care…
- You feel depleted and deprived of rest/sleep
- You feel under appreciated or undervalued
- You place others’ needs ahead of your own
- Your schedule does not reflect your priorities
- Your to-do list continues to grow (all to keep you busy)
- You trouble with slowing down
- You feel you have to do everything on your own
- You lack a support group
- You lack compassion for yourself
- You’ve allowed your spiritual life to suffer
Based upon my past experiences I can share with you that living a well balanced life is an essential ingredient. Self care is also a need and goes hand in hand with living a healthy and well-rounded life. I was terribly depleted a decade ago. I wasn’t sure how I would survive, mentally and emotionally. You may have experienced a crisis or something traumatic and you were unsure how you could rise above. You may be in the middle of something as you read this column. Wherever you are, you still need to apply healthy self care. Whether you have a budget or not… here are some simple self care ideas for you to apply to you your life.
- Make time to be alone
- Take a bath
- Meditate/pray
- Get a pedicure
- Get a massage
- Turn off all means of technology for an hour or more
- Go for a hike
- Do yoga
- Read a book
- Take a drive
Most of the above only require that you make time to care for you.
The past decade I’ve been able to learn so much about myself personally and professionally. Often, I’ve been asked… “how have you done it all?” My answer used to be… “I don’t know, I’ve just done it!” I’ve been wrong all along. It’s factual that I’ve applied very specific principles to my life. In fact, I’ve developed a specific program to help other woman who are entrepreneurs, single and busy moms to seek a life they want to live. “Better For It Now,” if you apply the principles properly, it will transform your life. Here’s how to access transformation, www.betterforitnow.com
Bronwyn Ison is the owner and founder of Evolve Yoga, bronwynison.com , Yoga On Demand and “Better For It Now,” a 7-Principle program that includes yoga an audio meditations. e-volveyoga.com
