{One of my kids colored this the other day and I just love it!}
As women, we are often prone to take care of everyone else before ourselves. There are so many pressing needs around us and it’s so easy to prioritize those instead of prioritizing ourselves.
But the truth is this: I'm no good to anyone if I’m completely worn out and exhausted.
As I’ve talked about before, there have been long seasons of my life when I’ve just been in go-go-go mode. When my kids were little, it was a combination of them waking up multiple times in the night, them being at an age where I had to do most everything for them, and me trying to juggle their needs with a quickly growing online business.
As my kids got older and the business continued to grow, I struggled to prioritize time for myself because it felt like there were so many other demands on my time — kids going in multiple directions, homeschooling, managing our home, blogging, trying to keep up with social media, researching and brainstorming new business ideas, a team who needed me to manage them, business travel, prepping for speaking engagements, interviews, writing books, phone calls… the list of things I felt I needed to fit in was always longer than the time I had.
While I have gotten better and better at prioritizing self-care over the years and I’ve drastically cut back on my responsibilities and commitments, I think it will always be something that I have to really work being intentional with. Because of this, I’ve found that it’s helpful for me to define the five most important areas for me to focus on when it comes to self-care.
I want to challenge you to consider how you’re doing on self-care, too. Is it something you struggle to prioritize? If so, what areas are the most important areas you need to prioritize when it comes to taking care of yourself?
Here are my 5 areas where I try to focus on taking care of me — so that I can better invest into others:
1. Good Food
Food is your body's fuel. What kind of fuel are you putting into your body? Is it fuel that nourishes and builds up and will help your body run at its best? Or is it junk and nutritionally deficient fuel?
While I love homemade desserts and ice cream, I try to make sure that the majority of my meals and snacks are good protein, good carbs, and fresh fruits and veggies.
We almost always keep some chopped up veggies, berries, apples, Greek yogurt, Ezekiel Bread, almond butter, farm fresh eggs and turkey on hand for quick snacks. By always having yummy ingredients on hand that I love and that also are nourishing to my body, it’s a lot easier eat healthfully.
2. Quality Vitamins
I am a big believer in taking quality vitamins every day. When I take my vitamins, I operate so much better, get sick less often, and have so much more energy.
Over the years, I’ve come up with what the perfect vitamin combination is for me. I occasionally tweak it, but for the most part, I’ve kept it the same for quite some time. My favorite multi-vitamins are the NOW Foods Special Two Vitamins. I’ve been taking these for a long time and they really make a difference.
I also take a probiotic, Vitamin D-3, Magnesium Citrate, and 5htp. I also LOVE essential oils! Some of my favorites are Balance and Calming, Immune Strength, Thieves, OnGuard, and Tummy Rub.
3. Water
We all know that we need to drink more water. If you are struggling with headaches, constipation, cramping, or other physical ailments, a lot of times, you dehydration can be a major cause.
I try to drink at least 8 glasses a day and I notice that when I do, I feel so much better and I am more thirsty, which reminds me to drink more!
We love filling our water dispenser with homemade flavored water to encourage us all to drink more water. (If you're looking for Flavored Water Recipes, check out this post for lots of ideas and suggestions.)
4. Exercise
I got a Jawbone UP3 earlier this year and it has literally made SUCH an impact on my life. I realized within a few days that I was getting a lot less sleep and was a lot more sedentary than I realized.
The band has inspired and motivated me to make sleep and exercise a much higher priority.
I’m currently working out with my husband and a friend every week day using a pretty intense workout plan Jesse put together based on the book Thinner, Leaner, Stronger.
While the workouts are kicking my tail and I sometimes have a bad attitude because they are hard, I’m now at the stage where I’m all, “Bring it on!” Why? Because I have SO much more energy, feel so much better, and am already seeing some real, legit muscles in places where I’ve never seen them before. Plus, if I take a few days off, I can tell a difference — I feel more sluggish and unmotivated and I don’t sleep as well.
The best part is that my husband absolutely LOVES that I’ve become one of his workout partners. Our hour in our garage “gym” each day has become one of our very favorite parts of the day!
5. Things I Love
Take stock of your daily activities and ask yourself, “What am I doing to refresh myself?” Like we talked about earlier this week, make sure you are including at least a few things in your day that are things you love and things that make you happy.
For me, this can be simple things like reading a chapter from a book, taking a bath, savoring a cup of coffee, talking to a friend, watching a movie with my husband, listening to music or a podcast, posting on Instagram, taking a walk, reading to my kids, or even cleaning the house.
Challenge yourself to spend at least 5 minutes each day doing something you love. Give your soul space to breathe. It can make such a big difference in your day, how calm you feel, and it will give you more joy and energy, too!
What do YOU do to feel better and have more energy? I’d love to hear!
