Making Wellness And Self-Care A Priority

As we move into Women's History Month, we get great information from  New York Incubator member Yolanda Smith.  You can find her at her website, Self Care Just For Me and her email is Holisticself–care@ix.netcom.com

As women we are excellent care providers, we are dedicated, committed, compassionate, determined, and conscientious while giving care to our friends, family, children, colleagues, significant others but find it extremely difficult to give the same loving unconditional care to ourselves. Women often take care of the needs of others at their own expense. We are constantly putting the oxygen mask on others while leaving ourselves deprived of vital energy thereby not having enough energy to holistically care for ourselves – mind – body & soul/spirit. It is considered altruistic when caring for others and selfish when taking care of you first. 

I was forced to make a decision to start taking better care of myself when my mind body & spirit “Stopped Me” and said “I cannot allow you to continue this day”.  It was August 6, 2004 when my life all changed in a flash!  While teaching a Critical Thinking Workshop with 25 nurses and role playing – I became acutely confused, disoriented with a subsequent loss of memory. I was emergently hospitalized at the facility I was lecturing. After four days of extensive neurological testing, laboratory work, medication therapy and sleep – I was diagnosed with sensory overload. All the testing results were negative. While growing my first business (YGS Medical–Legal Consulting) – I did not have balance in my life. I was working 15-hours days – six days per week. I focused my attention on fulfilling the needs of others and running my successful business – ultimately losing my identity to my business. I did not practice self–care activities nor nurture – cherish & love myself first.

 

 

My journey to Wellness – Optimal Health & Self–Care…

I personally took my time in discovering what wellness – well–being meant to me. I discovered John Travis’ definition of wellness:

• Wellness is a choice, a decision you make to move toward optimal health.
• Wellness is a way of life,a lifestyle you design to achieve your highest potential for well-being.
• Wellness is a process…. a developing awareness that there is no end point, but that health and happiness are possible in each moment, here and now.
• Wellness is the integration of the body, mind, and spirit…. the appreciation that everything you do, and think, and feel, and believe has an impact on your state of health.
• Wellness is the loving acceptance of yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

I have learned as women – we are very good at managing stress at work, at home and in our personal lives – in fact we are so good – we do not realize when we are having our own emotional reactions to the stress. Stress reactions have become our norm! Whether it's healthy eating, better sleep habits, more control over your time, exercise, managing your stress, dealing with clutter or learning to say "NO", it's all about self-care – putting yourself first and investing time and effort into your own health and well-being.

 

I have learned – no one can do it for you! You have to make the decision and do it. You must come to the realization that you are worthy of living a healthy happy balanced joyous well life – everyday. You are the only one who can make that happen. It has to be an internal drive of love – of compassion for yourself that will empower you to implement self care practices just for you every day.

The process by which I changed my life…

January 2007 – I Founded Holistic Self–Care: Just For You, Inc.

I utilized my life experiences and founded Holistic Self–Care: Just For You, Inc with a focus on Health promotion. I developed a “Holistic Self–Care Wellness Model © 2007”, utilizing a Holistic Lifestyle Questionnaire to help others gain personal insight into their state of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness. I now believe lifestyle changes can be facilitated through a combination of efforts to enhance awareness, change behaviors and create environments that support good health practices. The foundation of my model is to create a balanced integrated healthy life by focusing on seven essential areas:

The Process: Self-Care Integrated Areas• Your Emotional & Mental Self• Getting in touch with true feelings and thoughts by expressing them freely and honestly.• Relationships• Committing to more authentic and honest communication.• Intimacy • Experiencing more caring, pleasure and trust within intimacy.• Your Physical Body• Learning to love, nurture and care for your structural body by enhancing the five senses.• Finances • Believing that you can create greater prosperity with an integrated balanced personal life.• Work & Career• Balancing and integrating the drive for success with a happy personal life.• Your Soul & Spirit • Developing a vital and personal spiritual path by your relationship with yourself, a Higher Power, life purpose and creativity.

The Process

As a Holistic Nurse Educator – I recommend the following tips for creating and maintaining holistic health:

1. Body: achieving an optimum state of physical health is due to an ongoing commitment to three factors: diet/nutrition, exercise and environmental awareness.

2. Mind: achieving optimum mental health as a condition of peace of mind, contentment, positive beliefs and attitudes.

a. Self–Care Activities: affirmations, breathwork, journaling, and conscious laughter.

3. Spirit: achieving optimum spirit health refers to your belief in a Higher Power, honoring yourself and your inner knowing.

a. Self–Care Activities: prayer, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, spending time in nature and showing gratitude.

 

 

Comments

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