3 self-care practices that keep me sane

Self-care is not about adding something to your to-do list, it’s about cultivating a kinder, gentler relationship with yourself. Renee Trudeau

Our family is navigating some big transitions this month (who’s not, right now?!). As I shift into allowing myself to take life hour by hour, as needed, I rest in the reminder that I’ve got a few amazing tools in my bag that support me through challenging times.

Three grounding self-care practices that help me find my center and remember all is well –even when a storm is swirling around me—include:

1. Starting my day intentionally. When I feel fearful or anxious, what brings me HOME is remembering to surrender. I do this by putting my morning meditation time before anything else. For some, this could be as simple as doing some deep breathing and setting an intention for your day before you start work, journaling about 5 things you’re grateful for, or carving out 10-20 minutes in the morning for meditation/prayer or stillness (more tips on meditating here—this practice has been life-changing for me).
2. Practicing self-compassion. More and more research and science are backing why this shift can be one of the most important you can make. Read more about how and why it pays to cultivate self-compassion here. 
3. Being with what is (and releasing the need to fix or change what’s happening around me). For years I exhausted myself by always feeling like I had to “take action.” Now, at the doorstep of 50, I’m finally learning that often the best course of action I can take for myself-and my loved ones-is to sit, breathe and let go–read more. 

I grew up with a lot of chaos (oldest of 7 kids and like most American households-our fair share of dysfunction). The experience of not feeling safe and constantly living in the ”unknown,” was exhausting and stressful. For years I navigated a lot of anxiety. However, my upbringing left me with a strong desire to FEEL GOOD (and help others experience emotional resiliency, too). Today, my emotional self-care (read more) is of paramount importance because I know that when I remember who I really am and have a sense of inner and outer alignment, everyone around me benefits from this in ways big and small.

INVITE:  LAST CHANCE TO JOIN US!  Are you 40+, seeking greater self-acceptance and interested in learning sweet self-care practices to support you in staying sane? Learn/more register for Embracing the Wild Unknown: Nurturing Yourself in Mid-Life & Beyond–a live telecourse (that means via phone; all classes are recorded). Participate in real-time or you can download the recorded classes/MP3s at your convenience. Class #2 is this Thursday–this experience has been amazing! P.S. Interested in what other self-care events/retreats I have coming up? View our calendar here. 

Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by life balance teacher/author and Career Strategists president, Renée Peterson Trudeau. Offering speaking, custom workshops, training, books/telecourses and individual coaching focusing on self-renewal for women, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Spirituality & Health and more. Thousands of women in ten countries are becoming RTA-Certified Facilitators and leading/joining self-care groups based on her award-winning curriculum.  She is the author of The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal and Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and 13 year-old son. More on her background here.