Self Care

You can't run on fast-forward all the time. Sometimes you have to hit the unwind button.

If you don't take care of yourself, what message are you sending? What kind of role model are you being for your children or co-workers?

Most people are not very good at taking care of themselves. Mothers especially tend to put everyone first and leave little or no time for even the most basic of self-care.

There are four areas that need attention: Spiritual, Mental, Physical and Emotional.

Let any one of these go and life is out of balance. Let three out of four go and you could be well on your way to a catastrophe.

Perhaps the best way to get that balance back is to start delegating or saying no. Practice in the mirror. "No, I can't make two dozen cupcakes for tomorrow's sixth grade graduation."

"No, I can't drive you to four ballet classes a week."

"No, I can't sew you a new bathing suit before summer school starts."

Teenagers seem to be really good at saying no. We lose that skill somewhere along the way.

Look at your life and look for the weak spots in the chain of balance. Are you getting enough sleep? Have you made time for fun and relaxation and put it on your schedule? Do you get regular physicals?

Are you eating real food each day? I'm not talking about things like getting your hair done. I'm talking about real life changing things like feeding your mind or getting fit. We need to put more of our dollars into character building activities and less into how nice our nails look.

Remember, we all have the same 24 hours a day. That means you have the same amount as Donald Trump or Oprah Winfrey. It's how you use it that counts.

Spiritual:

Time to meditate or pray each day

Time to call loved ones and show you care

Time to help the less fortunate

Time to protect the environment

Even something like recycling cans can be a spiritual event with the right mindset.

Mental:

Are you mentally exhausted?

Some people find that journaling helps. Writing it all out on paper makes it seem less overwhelming.

You can feed your mind by reading the books you love, watching DVD's of places you always wanted to travel, or learning a new mental skill like Sudoku or Literati.

Try chess or bridge to give your mind some exercise. Can't find a partner? There are ways to play on line.

Or learn something new on your computer. Try some of the built in graph programs. Learn to make pie charts. Learn to crop and color your digital photos.

Physical:

Few of us get enough exercise. Some of us get too much. Some of us get the wrong kind. Even one appointment with a fitness trainer can point you in the right direction. Everyone is different. I'm one of those people that never gets anywhere near enough exercise. How well do you know your own exercise needs?

Exercise has to be custom made to suit each person. If your joints are weak, swimming may be the way to go. If your job works out your muscles, you may not need strength training but you may need aerobics or stretching. If one thing doesn't work try another. Almost any exercise is better than no exercise.

I won't preach to you about eating. We all know what we should and should not be eating pretty much.

Emotional:

Emotional health is hard to get a grasp on. So many things knock us off that precarious tightwire we all walk on. Some of us need anger management classes. Some of us need to learn to speak up for ourselves and state our minds. Some of us need to stop gossiping and being busybodies. Do people feel better after spending an hour with you, or worse? Are you bringing people up, or bringing them down? We all want to be around people that make us feel great.

Don't let emotional vampires wear you down. And do your best not to be one.

Be a good listener. Others have a valuable opinion too.