I love the fact that so many of us are striving to create success in our lives whether it’s via a career, building a business or managing a family, there’s always something that we as women are pushing ourselves to be successful at and I have to say that I am constantly inspired by what we do. Some of us push ourselves extra hard because we want to be the very best at whatever it is and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that: after all if we are to manifest the future that we envision then hard work and commitment is required. The only problem is that with all of that focus and multitasking, combined with that particularly female trait of worrying about everyone else in our lives, trying to ensure that they are okay,  all to often we fail to adequately look after ourselves.

It’s sooooo easy for this to happen: yes, we are constantly reminded about the challenges of managing time and prioritising the often conflicting demands of our lives.  Yes, we all know about the benefits of time management and most of us are adept at utilising our time management skills for our work and family lives … just. But with all of that said, where is the ‘me time’? How come we so often fail at making self care a priority? Take a couple of minutes, a mindful moment even and think about how much time you spend being kind to yourself.

Now let’s be clear here … the mad rush to the gym for a fast and furious workout before or after work isn’t necessarily being kind to yourself, neither is the rushed lunch of fresh vegetable juice and quinoa salad; those things help to sustain us but they don’t necessarily nurture us. Self care means being kind to ourselves by actually taking the time to stop … really stop and listen to our bodies. As it’s Stress Awareness Month here are some maybes…

Maybe that dry patch of skin that has appeared from nowhere is a sign of dehydration, stress or that you forgot to moisturise.

Maybe you’ll sleep better if you actually put your iPad and phone in another room an hour before bed, allowing your mind to calm down, and maybe providing the time for you to read a book or something.

Maybe you don’t always have to try to be the best, most amazing friend/mother/sister/daughter/wife/lover ever when you’re just getting over the flu and you’ve got deadlines to meet … maybe just maybe they’ll understand that you taking a long relaxing bath and having an early night trumps whatever it is at they need from you.

Maybe instead of trying to prove that you are the only person who can do anything properly … you should try delegating.

Maybe you’d be able to start being kinder to yourself if you take a realistic approach and take tiny steps towards managing your stress levels especially as stress affects everything ….sleep, skin quality, digestion…

It’s never going to be perfect but maybe you should accept that self care is not selfish. Self care allows you to be your best self.

Denise xx