"Even the donkey gets tired and needs to rest"

This is a well-worn phrase my Italian grandmother used to say often throughout her long life. (Actually, the fact that I'm repeating it here is somewhat astonishing to me since I reached a point of never wanting to hear it again)

Now, as an adult, I realize how true this old folk saying is. I don't have to keep pushing myself beyond my limits. Just last week a friend and I had to make a pact with each other that we'd both take a nap that day. We were both exhausted - she has a 2 year old and houseguests and my daughter is almost 4 months old - and yet we were pushing ourselves to keep going and do more.

The irony is that self care can be SO simple...a bath, a walk. What's difficult is recognizing that we are deserving, seeing it as a necessity for our well-being and not a luxury. By looking after ourselves, we nurture our own energy and are then able to give to others from a grounded, loving place. We can savor and feel energized by our lives rather than just getting through each day. Ahhhhh, doesn't that sound like bliss?

Make a list of 20 self care ideas from quick & simple to bigger & requiring planning. Here are some ideas: take a walk, have a bath, put on some music and dance or sing with wild abandon, enjoy a night out, a weekend (or longer) away, spend time in your garden, go for a swim, reconnect with friends, visit a place you've never been to, take in a matinee, take lessons to learn a new activity and my personal favorite, take a nap!

Identify your REAL belief about self care by asking yourself this question and listening to the first thing that pops into your head without trying to make sense of it: "if I take time for myself I am/will...". What comes up? Are you lazy? Wise? Will you fall behind? And notice if your reaction is "I don't have time because" that's just a smoke screen. Your self care can start with small steps.

Schedule self care for this week and one for next week too. Treat this like an appointment with someone you have enormous respect for - someone you'd never cancel on.

Oh, and by the way, today I took a walk AND had a nap...and I feel great!



Next Month: Difficult Conversations

Teleclass: Self Care - small steps to add more Ahhhhh in your life

Join us for this fun 2-part teleclass to:

• Envision your life with more self care
• Identify and remove self care obstacles
• Schedule self care into your busy schedule without adding to your do to list
• Get support from others

Dates: Wednesdays, March 23 & 30th, 2005
Time: 6-7pm Pacific Time
Cost: $49 or refer a friend and save 25%

Click here to register.

Want to explore Self Care even more? There's a great book called The Woman's Retreat Book by Jennifer Louden that's packed with ideas and suggestions for self care and retreat ideas ranging from an afternoon by yourself at home to time away with a group of friends. And guys, while it is targeted to women, there's great stuff in it for you too.