How well do you take care of yourself?

Practicing Extreme Self ~ Care

A friend reminded me this morning of one of my favorite books, "The Art of Extreme Self Care" by Cheryl Richardson, that has been hidden in my bookshelf for awhile now. She directed me to a certain page, which happened to be exactly what I needed to be reminded of right now! I am a believer of how essential it is to take good care of our selves. I teach self-care principles, and coach to all of my clients about how they need to prioritize themselves, but even though I have so much knowledge around this, and can direct others to care for themselves, I sometimes forget I need to make sure I am doing a good job of it myself!

So, today, I am taking an inventory, and  making my list for the week, of things I am going to do to bring enjoyment, pleasure and joy into my week. I will share an exercise that will help you with this in a minute.

If we do not value and honor ourselves enough to make caring for ourselves a priority, who else is going to?

This is not just the physical self (nutrition, exercise,taking vitamins etc..) this is also caring for, and attending to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health as well.

Here is a great exercise for you to get you started, inspired by Cheryl Richardson:

Sit somewhere in silence and ponder these questions. Journal what answers or new awareness's come up when you read these questions. If you meditate, these are great questions to meditate on.

Look at areas in your life you are feeling deprived, starved, or uninspired and ask yourself: 

"What do I need more or less of in my life?
"What do I need to let go of that is no longer serving me in a positive way?"
"How can I bring more joy, pleasure and enjoyment into my life?"
"What can I start doing, or stop doing that will bring more joy and peace into my life?

Take all the time you need to reflect on these questions. The most important aspect of this exercise, or any new awareness, is to TAKE ACTION. We can read all the greatest self-help books, see counsellors and healers of all kinds, but if we do not take actions required to ignite change, we will remain stuck.

So, my question to you is: What action(s) are you going to take this week, that will help you to bring about the changes you wish to make that came up in the exercise above?

Choose 2 or 3 manageable things you can implement this week. The key is to  make them manageable. Set yourself up for success. Making small changes, and subtle shifts over time leads to big changes. Take it day by day. Realize that many little positive, and consistent changes add up to bigger changes in the long run.

Have fun creating your list, and making changes to practice the art of extreme self~care! And remember this:

  Self care is not selfish, it is self-preservation! 

We can not effectively take care of others, if we are not first taking care of ourselves.

The Art of Extreme Self~ Care by Cheryl Richardson is such a beautifully written book about taking your own power back and putting yourself first by practicing what she calls "Extreme Self Care". I highly recommend it to all women I work with.  

Yours in health, and happiness,

~Leanne


Leanne Oaten~ Holistic Counsellor and Extreme self~ care coach.
P:250-319-3630     E: soulworkcounselling@yahoo.ca
www.soulworkcounselling.com