Do you take better care of your family, your friends, your co-workers or clients, your home, your pets, even your car – than you do your self? Do you spend too much time on the internet and not enough time outside? Do you do “one more thing” before relaxing and getting to bed? Do you decide you can take care of your child / partner / client / work, and then if there is time, make time for you? I am always working on creating a better balance in my life – time for me, and time for work and helping others.
What does self care look like? For me, it includes:
- Reiki on myself
- Meditation
- Tapping (EFT) to feel clear and good
- Exercise and stretching
- Walks in nature
- Eating healthy food (while sitting down, not while driving or at my desk)
- Sleeping 7 – 8 hours a night
- PLAY and fun
One of my many favorite quotes from my beloved teacher Rosalyn Bruyere is “The world is not a better place if we are up one patient and down one healer.” When we fly, we are always told that if the oxygen masks drop down, put yours on first, then help anyone who is traveling with you.
If we want to keep serving and helping and healing, and be healthy – we need to take care of ourselves first. Or at the very least, we need to find a balance between taking care of those we love and taking care of ourselves.
When we take care of everyone and everything first, we often end up energetically depleted, which can lead to us feeling emotionally “down”, stressed and overwhelmed, and can lead to challenges with boundaries. When we are exhausted, it is harder to ask for help, harder to say “no”, harder to discern what challenges are yours, and what you might have taken on that is someone else’s.
I talk about healthy boundaries alot with clients and students. And, of course, I am continuously working on my own boundaries. Interestingly, a few days ago, I noticed a free video about “psychic protection”. I know this stuff. I teach this stuff. And, I am always open to new ways to support myself and teach my clients and students to protect themselves. I liked two of the visuals that were offered during this video, variations on what many of us are already using. One was to imagine yourself inside a protective bubble that holds only good and keeps out the bad. Think of “Glinda the good witch” in the Wizard of Oz – she floats down in a lovely pink bubble. The second one was to imagine that you are standing in the middle of a column of light that is coming down from a Divine hand. I like this alot better than just surrounding myself with light.
In addition, I regularly ask that my body, my energy, my home, office, car, etc. be surrounded and filled with “love and light and healing energies”, and that “any and all entities and energies and cords / connections that are not mine and do not serve me be taken to the light”. You can do this while burning a bit of sage, or using essential oils, or Reiki symbols. I use all of it, often.
We really are empowered to help ourselves. And, we also need each other! We give and receive. As we are more clear, more full, we are more loving and more happy – and more available to love and serve others.
If you need help, I love to support you in person, or by phone or email. We can clear and heal your body, mind, emotions as well as your home and office.