The Real Self-Care That Everyone Needs

This was a term I was only recently familiar with. It means taking care of yourself, something that we women, as wives and mothers, seldom do. It is SO important to do this.

I sincerely wish someone would have told me the importance of self-care earlier in my life. I would have been in a much better place emotionally and physically going into my divorce.

I focused on taking care of myself, little by little.

It started with things that so many people have already done for themselves as part of their self-care.

Those visits to the manicurist were written in my planner just like a business meeting. Pedicures were even occasionally included.

The bliss following a scheduled massage!

The hour-long walk with a friend in the early morning. Signing up for paint classes and enforced “relaxation and learning” experiences. Just taking the time to look outside and write a poem in the morning was wonderful.

Learning to play golf, hit golf balls with friends and participate in a tournament were welcomed outlets. Taking a lunch break to lay out by the pool, soak up the sun and listen to soft music, was totally rejuvenating.

Taking a couple of minutes to dance in the driveway when I returned from the gym in the early morning, complete with the car stereo blaring, was such fun!

These are all wonderful, luxurious experiences and I’m grateful that I’m able to take the time and be able to invest in them.

But these aren’t the most important and first way to take care of yourself.

The focus of self-care is to create happiness.

It doesn’t require a spa or trip to the coast or other physical threats. It’s all about learning to treat yourself with respect and compassion. It’s about encouraging yourself in the same way you would encourage a treasured friend.

It’s about building up your positivity habit so that you can feel cared for — By YOURSELF — no matter your circumstances.

Once I figured out how to be more positive and learned how that made me happy — truly happy — I found ways to incorporate these moments of gratitude and awareness into my everyday life.

What a difference it made in my outlook and ability to cope with the challenges of life, especially going through such a major life change as getting divorced at 60.

This blog is based on an excerpt from Amazon top-selling book, “Single and Sixty,” available in paperback, Kindle and Audible.

Janie J is the author of “Live the Life You Have Imagined,” “Single and Sixty,” “The Unimagined Awakening” and The New I Am Document, Volume 1.” She began writing books after a spiritual awakening let her to tap into universal wisdom. Her mission is to help others live a life of more joy and understanding and to raise the consciousness of all humankind. Get started on your own journey with a free copy of the Connect to Transform Process at www.TheNewIAMMovement.com/transform.