The Importance of Self Care

The Vancouver coastline

Yes, we all have obligations to people and tasks in our lives.  Far too often, we put ourselves last in an effort to appease everyone else and we find ourselves constantly saying "yes" to everything that is asked of us.  Consider this quote provided by one of my favorite professors:

"When you never say 'no', your 'yes' isn't worth very much."

In this world we value the rare, so ration your "yes"'s and spend the rest of your time doing some (or all) of the following:

• read a book
• take a long, relaxing bath
• meditate (or just close your eyes and take deep breaths in and out)
• go to your _____ (insert any sport here) league to play a game
• go for a long walk, taking lots of detours to meander through public parks
• go to a pottery class
• write in your journal 
• make something (knitting, sewing, woodwork, painting) 
• take a nap
• crank your ipod and have a one-person dance party in your apartment
• spend all day in a used book store
• spend all day in a cozy cafe with your sketchbook
• make music with anything from a piano to an empty ice cream tub

Fostering your creative side and honouring your self care regime will add balance to your life and ensure that you enjoy life and don't feel burnt out.  

Have a wonderful day!