Summer of Self-Care: Giving Yourself Permission to Say Yes

Ahhh, Summer. Do you imagine lazy nights in the backyard watching the fireflies and sipping a glass of wine?

Or maybe you're imagining yourself in you chair on a beach, hiking in the mountains or any other activity that relaxes your body, mind and soul!

And then reality hits. 

The kids have a million things they need to be taken to.

Something happens at work that requires added time and energy. 

Your romantic relationship blows up. 

Your mom falls and can’t get up so you end up caring for her or making all the arrangements for her to be cared for. 

Life happens. 

It’s easy to let it rob us of time, money and even the energy to invest in our own self-care. 

What do you do? 

I know we can’t ignore life. 

Yet, when something is a priority, it seems to get done and everything else falls into place, or doesn’t happen and it ends up being okay. 

You know how it is right before you leave on vacation? Things get extra busy those last few days, yet, you get packed and get on the airplane or load the car and leave for the road trip! Because you prioritized it! 

I’m curious? What’s the hardest part of self-care to prioritize when life throws a ton of stuff at you? Is it your sleep? Movement? How you eat/drink? Maybe you cancel your massage, acupuncture and coaching appointments. Hit reply and share it with me!

There’s no need to judge or criticize yourself. Simply notice how you stopped prioritizing your own self-care and make adjustments. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself, no matter what! You aren’t going for perfection. Every moment and every bit of energy you devote to yourself will pay off 10-fold!

What Delights You?

When was the last time you thought about what would delight you? 

Delight! 

What’s the first thing that comes up for you? 

Do you instantly think of something that would delight you? 

Or do you think, “I don’t have time to think about what delights me!” 

It’s a powerful question. Here’s how I use it in a very practical way…

I am on a deadline to get this blog out. Fine. Writing this blog and getting it on Instagram, emailed out to everyone on my email list and putting on the blog section of my website is on my “To-Do” list. 

Now I’m going to add the question, “what can I do that will feel delightful while I do these tasks to get this blog to you?”

A simple answer came to me. Instead of sitting at my desk to get it all done, I’ll take my laptop and sit on my front porch so I can be outside, see all the hummingbirds flying around, and enjoy the sunshine. 

BAM! Suddenly the tasks to get my blog out are more… delightful! 

How would your day feel different if you found three things that you need to do and simply added a little delight to them? 

Delight has become part of my self-care routine. I frequently ask myself, “how can I make this delightful?” Suddenly even a boring To-Do list is more interesting and fun. When we invite delight into the mundane aspects of life, we’ve elevated our experience. 

Tell me, what will you do to make something delightful today? 

That’s what self-care looks like. That’s what self-love looks like. Taking that extra moment to bring more delight into your life.