We wear many roles in our lives. What happens when you take off the masks connected to those roles? What happens when you decide to nurture yourself by recognizing, appreciating and giving yourself time to reflect and reset? The result is developing the courage to examine who you really are and what you really want. It's building the connection to what you really want from your relationship with life. 

Engaging in self-care is the ultimate act of giving and receiving because you are giving to you first and you learn how to receive from your own acts of love towards the self.  Typically, individuals who are givers are often caring, emotional and sensitive—they tend to be attuned to the feelings of others and not their own. When we make the decision to choose ourselves daily, we are learning how to let go of concerns and allowing ourselves to be relaxed as we move through our day.

Start your day with reflection.

Ask yourself: Who am I?  What do I want? 

• When we set the tone for whatever it is that we are doing, we are ultimately connecting with the vision we want to bring to reality

• Purpose helps us to create our lives with deliberate focus

• Truly knowing our “why” can empower and inspire everything that we are doing

Pick tasks you can complete within the time you have today. 

• For those that are not completed today, allow yourself space to know that you were able to complete what was necessary.

Pamper yourself. 

• Doing something nice for yourself reinforces your self-esteem and ability to relax. Pampering yourself also reinforces the feeling of being nurtured while feeling good about your body.

• Some services include massages, facials, mani/pedi, waxing, new hairstyle, etc.

Allow space for play. 

• Turn on music, bring out the paint and markers, exercise, etc. Go back to when you were a child and allow yourself to play and be silly. Keep a running list of things that make you feel happy, safe, and energized.

Allow yourself to rest.

• Allow yourself to rest, even if it is for a set amount of time.

• Identify a space within your home to make a sanctuary where you can retreat after a long day of work and/or when you need to shift energy