In my last post, I suggested that you think about and determine what you might do to take good care of yourself in order to renew your energy.  Is it a massage?  A weekly meeting with a therapist?  A daily cup of tea? A hike  to the top of a mountain?  Maybe there are several things on your list.

As they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.  Now that you know what you want to do, how are you going to make it a reality?

The first thing you have to do is to give yourself permission to take care of yourself.   Tell the truth, now.  When you think about taking time for yourself, what messages do you hear inside your head?  Come on, I know they are there.  Things like, “I don’t have time for that.”  Or “I can’t afford to do that.”  Or, “Good mothers don’t miss their kid’s sports events.”  Or, my husband will get mad if I do that.”  Sound familiar or do you have completely different chatter going on?

Those messages, may be your biggest roadblock.  If you think that you don’t deserve time for yourself, if you believe that you are the only one capable of doing all of the things you do, if you worry about what others will think or how they’ll react, your self talk and worry is holding you back.

To overcome that barrier, ask yourself:

1. Is this really true?
2. How do I know it’s true
3. What are some other possible ‘truths’?
4. So what if it is true?
5. What’s the worst that can happen?
6. Aren’t I worth it?

Still not convinced that you’re worth it and that taking care of yourself will deliver great returns to others in your life?

Take five minutes, grab a pad of paper and a pen and find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably, undisturbed.  Close your eyes and imagine yourself enjoying whatever your preferred self-care experience is.  Really see yourself engaged in the process.  Notice how your whole body feels and sink into those sensations.  Hear the sounds around  you and feel the energy that is flowing in you.   Sit, immersed in that experience for a few minutes.    Then, when you are ready, come back to the ‘reality’ of the room you are in.  Grab your pen and paper and write down what you were doing, how it felt and how you benefited.  Jot down anything else that comes to your mind as a result of your experience.

If you want to have a more permanent image, create a vision board that paints a picture of your unique version of self-care and its benefits.  Make it so vivid and compelling that you can’t resist taking action.

In my next post, I’ll share some tips on how to turn your vision into action by  creating “me-time” so you can actually experience and reap the benefits of your self-care vision!

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