Practicing Self-Care: Women Are We Killing Ourselves in the Name of Love?

Dear Woman,

• Are you more "burned out" than you realize, running on empty most of the time?
• Are you too drained to be truly present with the closest people in your life?
• When people ask you how you're doing, do you say "Great!" even though you're dragging yourself around with your last ounce of energy?
• Do you feel like your needs don't count?

Despite all the progress we've made over the years, being a woman today is harder than ever before. Many of us are still victims of a deeply rooted, collective belief that it's selfish to put ourselves first. No matter how many opportunities we may have gained, we're often still expected to play the role of major caregiver--not only for our children, but our parents and partners as well.

The whole truth is that today's woman is serving triple-duty: as a result, there's less time than ever to focus on ourselves, both internally and externally.

Ultimately, however, nothing--no matter how important the roles we play might be--should come at the expense of our own well-being.

***

When we care for ourselves first and foremost, we become role models--for our children, our partners, and, most of all, for each other. By bringing our whole selves into the equation--rested, playful, creative, sexy, and smart--we build the foundation to do what we need to do in a balanced and harmonious way. This delivers unexpected results: the true joys of creativity, spontaneity, energy, productivity, and love.

This is not selfishness; it is the essence of Self-Care.

***

The Dalai Lama has said it is the western woman who will lead us to the new world. That's quite a mandate--and a compliment as well! But in order to do that, we must learn to care for ourselves first, or we will miss the mark and not fulfill our potential.

This means:

• Putting ourselves first and practicing Self-Care every day.
• Loving ourselves from the inside out.
• Learning to love our bodies as they are.
• Discovering the true meaning of "sisterhood," as we support rather than compete with one another.

So many of us mistakenly believe that Self-Care will be just another large drain of our time and energy--one more set of demands to put on the "To Do" list. But true self-care is actually 180-degrees the opposite.

What would it take for you to make self-care a vital part of your everyday life?

***

I invite you--a woman who cares about herself and her world--to practice Self-Care and to "make our lives our own dance." Only then will we have the chance of fulfilling our potential as women, walking into the new world, one step at a time.

Here are four exercises to strengthen your Self-Care, from wherever you are:

1) Shut off all technological devices and sit quietly for five minutes every day.

2) Do something you consider play "just for you" for at least fifteen minutes per day. This could mean anything: dancing in your living room, reading a book, taking a bath, singing or listening to music.

3) Ask yourself: what do I really need and want? What really matters to me? Start to make a list of the things you love to do.

4) Make the following quote your mantra: "Only go as fast as the slowest part of you can go."

This is the first in a series of articles.

I always want to hear from you,

Lynda

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