“Self-care is about giving the best of you, not just of what's left of you.” - Clare Crouch, The Vibrant Health Coach

Stop trying to be superwoman

 As a modern woman you’ve learned how to look like superwoman, juggling multiple responsibilities while gracefully navigating the ever-increasing demands of life. On the surface you appear swan-like, graceful and calm but underneath the surface it’s all a bit more frantic.

Although it can be a challenge, you manage to maintain the façade for the most part but during the summer, the pace seems to pick up even more, leaving you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and teetering on the edge of burnout.

It can feel impossible to make self-care a priority, and not to side-line yourself and your own needs, amidst the summer chaos.

Put your own oxygen mask on first

Whenever you travel by plane, during the safety announcements, you’re told that the oxygen masks will drop from the overhead panel in an emergency, and you’re always reminded that you must put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others.

In reality when the oxygen masks are needed it can go one of two ways:

Panic, forget about the advice, try to help everyone else before you put your oxygen mask on and you risk running out of air before any of you are able to breathe.

OR

Stay calm, put your own oxygen mask on and then you can breathe freely and are able to efficiently help your loved ones and you will all be able to breathe.

It sounds so simple doesn’t it?

If you’re gasping for air you can’t think or react in a logical way and may not be able to help those you love should they have difficulty with putting on their own oxygen mask.

Simple but not easy in the midst of the panic.

Two-minute self-care tip

When you find yourself feeling frayed at the edges or totally overwhelmed and anxious this is EXACTLY the time to STOP and ‘put on your oxygen mask’.

Try this simple breathing exercise:

If possible, find a quiet comfortable space, but really you can do this anywhere, and take a few moments to breathe deeply.

Count as you breathe in and out and focus on making your exhale a few counts longer than your inhale.

Doing this will activate your parasympathetic nervous system and you will switch out of the panic of fight or flight mode and into a calmer more relaxed state.

As a result, you’ll start to feel a little more in control and be able to think more clearly.

Deep breathing isn’t just a one-time deal!

This little self-care technique is super-easy and super-quick but don’t underestimate it’s power.

Make this a regular, daily practice and you’ll soon begin to feel more able to cope with the demands of life and find it easier to keep on top of everything.

Do you need support?

If stress is impacting on your health, and your success, and you’d like to understand how you can better support your body in a gentle and natural way with simple food, lifestyle and mindset changes, let’s talk!

Please click here to drop me a message so we can arrange a no obligation chat.