When you are creating effortless success, it’s importantthat you learn to take extremely good care of yourself – physically, mentallyand spiritually – and to always put your best interests first. There is a goodreason why airlines instruct passengers who travel with small children to puttheir own oxygen mask on in an emergency and only then put a mask on the child.It may seem counter-instinctual since we are all conditioned by evolution andculture to risk our own life to save the life of a small child. This is a goodand natural instinct as it helps to ensure the continuation of our species.That is the bigger picture. In the smaller, more immediate picture, it is inboth your best interest and that of the child for you to put your own oxygenmask on first. Why? Imagine that you followed your natural instinct and put theoxygen mask on your two-year old son first before attempting to fasten yourown. Before you can attend to your mask, the lack of oxygen overcomes you andyou pass out. Now, you have no mask and your child has no one to comfort andcontinue to look after him. Imagine instead, that you first put on your mask,and then put an oxygen mask on your son. If he has passed out the oxygen willrevive him and now you are both conscious and your child has you to continue tocomfort and protect him during the emergency.
This is an extreme case example but the principle is thesame whether you are on that plane or safe in your home. Telling your child thatmommy need 20 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time to take a bubble bath is notneglecting your child. Rather, it is practicing extreme self-care. Just asthere was a larger benefit to the child on the airplane to being second in linefor an oxygen mask (continued protection and comfort from you) there is a benefitto your child, children, husband, wife, friends, etc. of you practicing extremeself-care in your everyday life. That benefit is a happier, healthier, morefocused you. Rather than begrudgingly or grumpily spending time with yourfamily when what you really need is a half hour alone to unwind after a toughday at work or at home, take the half hour for yourself. Read, journal, go fora bike ride, take a relaxing bath, whatever will make you feel better. Then youcan spend time with your family in a happy and healthy mood. Your family wouldrather spend one hour of joy with you feeling great than two mediocre or tensehours with you wishing you had a moment to yourself.
You may not need quiet time every single day, or maybe youdo. Identify what you need to feel your best and then give yourself the gift ofyourself. Ask the older kids to watch the younger ones, or ask your spouse or aneighbor to watch them all, and take a stroll after dinner. Combine your quiettime with an easy task and take the dog with you. Enlist your family into theprocess. Everyone might like a quiet hour before or after dinner or readingtime before bed. There are many ways to take extremely good care of you. Take awhole day once a month to be alone or ten minutes every day. Whatever works foryou.
To get started, make a list of the top one to ten activitiesyou would like to include in your day as part of your self-care. I like to callthese your Delicious Daily Habits. Once you have your list, start toincorporate these things into your life on a daily basis. Then sit back and seeyour spirits rise.
Here are examples of some possible delicious daily habits tokick-start your imagination. Choose from this list or invent your own uniquehabits. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by starting with one self-care change eachday or week and keep building momentum until taking extremely good care of yourselfis second nature to you.
1.) Walk
2.) Journal
3.) Talk to your mom
4.) Play with your cat/dog
5.) Spend time in nature
6.) Swim, dance, move your body
7.) Sing
8.) Read a great novel.
Be creative in finding ways to make your self care apriority. Have fun with this!
By Ruth Hegarty
Ruth Hegarty helps women entrepreneurs create confident andeffortless success. As a certified Law of Attraction Coach, Ruth teaches womento unleash their powerful creator. She hosts the popular “The Art of JoyfulLiving Radio Show.” Listen every Tuesday by visiting Art of Joyful Living .
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