Yes. Now is the Time for Radical Self-Care

I am with you. Take a deep breath. We’re all going to be OK.

When I lead retreats, I often guide an exercise where I begin by asking each participant, “What are the calming, self-soothing words you most need to hear right now?” Perhaps they are: Breathe. Let Go. This Too Shall Pass. Or, I Am Safe, I Am Protected.

What words most help you feel grounded, secure and embodied? Take five minutes today to identify your self-soothing mantra, write it down and post it. Consider making it the home screen image on your phone.

For 25 years, I have been helping men and women around the globe find their center and reclaim balance by accessing the gifts that come from a daily self-care practice. I define self-care as the art/science of attuning and responding to your needs and desires moment to moment.

Yes, we’re living in crazy times. But it’s essential we stay present and in the NOW. (If you missed it, read Living in the Future = Recipe for Stress).

Based on almost 30 years of training in stress management, neuroscience, mindfulness and resiliency, there are many things I’ll be sharing with you this summer to help you find your center. But, the top three things I encourage you to start doing TODAY, are:

1. Move it, move it. The issues are in the tissues. When we “move a muscle,” we change our thoughts. We need to be moving our bodies every day (I’m doing yoga and dance every morning and walking at night). Movement is one of the quickest ways to shake off anxiety and move into a more relaxed, grounded state. Don’t over-complicate this: walk, run, swim, dance, stretch, shake. Get out there and sweat and release!
2. Get outdoors. Now.  Nature boosts our immune health, calms our nervous system and re-calibrates our psychological state. Find a spot in nature near water if you can; the quieter, the better. I spent two hours lying on a blanket next to the river yesterday and the relaxing affect was amazing! At the least, visit your backyard and lie on your belly on a blanket in the shade (read more about the science of earthing) or stand barefoot on the earth for ten minutes.
3. Limit information/news intake, especially in the morning! How you start the day is how you do the day. It’s really crucial to be mindful and vigilant about how, when and where you take in news AND how you start your day. I strongly encourage you to enter your day with intention. You decide who and what affects your thoughts first thing in the morning. Science tells us as little as five minutes of stillness first thing in the morning can dramatically impact the quality and tone of our day. Read more.

There are many tools and practices I use that I’ll be sharing with you to help you navigate these times (I love legs up the wall, Yoga Nidra iRest and Jill Miller’s Coregous Ball for stimulating the vagus nerve and quickly moving me out of a fight or flight state) but start with the three steps above and let me know how it goes.

Please share your best practices for finding your center in crazy times on our Live Inside Out Facebook community. I’d love to hear what radical self-care looks like for you. Self-care is not selfish, it’s about self-preservation and creating a sustainable way of being in the world. Feeling good is your birthright.

WANT SUPPORT FOR FINDING BALANCE? HERE ARE FOUR OPPORTUNITIES: 

• **SOLD OUT: JOIN THE WAITING LIST.** September 15-17th ~ Sing, Dance, Pray: Romancing the Beloved at the Retreat Center at Lake Logan (45 min. from Asheville, NC airport). Located on sacred land in the oldest mountain range in the world. Limited to 25 women. Email info@reneetrudeau.com to be on our waiting list. Learn more/register.
• October 13-15th ~ Awakening Your Wild Soul: A Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (Berkshire Mountains, MA). Packages start at just $635. Learn more/register.
• Wild Souls Nature Adventures (based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC): authentic movement classes, community song circles, full moon hikes, meditation workshops, women’s circles & more.  New offerings listed each week; have me design a custom experience for your team/friends. Join us weekly for Wild Souls Authentic Movement near Asheville, NC. Learn more. 
• Download your self-guided retreat today ~ Ready to prioritize your self-care, relax your body and enjoy empowering mentoring from Renee 24/7 from the comfort of your home, car or office? Our highly popular self-paced online retreats are only $59. Download & enjoy today. Learn more.

Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by mindfulness coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, AARP, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of two books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life.  She and her husband live in Western North Carolina and Austin, Texas; her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.