7 ways to practice radical self-care

I’ve been navigating some rocky parenting terrain over the last couple of months and the challenges I’ve been facing have really taken a toll on me, physically and emotionally.

Last week though, I had a big realization.

I’ve been trying to do business as usual—running my coaching firm, preparing for travel/speaking events and working with a team on our new web site—and hoping this issue, which has been a source of tremendous stress and anxiety, would resolve itself. I’ve been treating the problem like a pair of favorite glasses that broke and are being held together by duct tape. Things are working (barely), but they’re far from ideal.

But today after a morning meditation, I heard loud and clear that this family scenario needs my full attention. And in order to do this, I’m going to have to take a stand for my needs and initiate some radical self-care.

For now this looks like:

• lightening my load at work (sadly, this meant rescheduling our May TX retreat, the first time I’ve ever done this!) so I can give my family–and my health–my full attention
• doing everything I can to ensure I’m getting adequate sleep and rest so I can make sound decisions and exercise good judgment
• lining up a wonderful massage therapist to come to my home and help me rev down my nervous system each week
• practicing “good is good enough” when it comes to meals (scrambled eggs, or fruit and oatmeal are all perfectly fine for dinner)
• taking mini-sabbaticals from family life and giving myself full permission to claim the time/space I need to “find my center”
• reaching out for regular support from a trusted counselor to help me reach a deeper level of understanding and illumination
• creating windows of time to just be, integrate, re-calibrate and recover from some of the recent stressful interactions

Too often we keep pushing ourselves or are not taking the time to really stop, step back and fully see what most needs our attention (read What Is Your Life Trying to Tell You?). And when it comes to self-care–which I define as the art/science of attuning to your needs moment to moment—we give ourselves little morsels of stale breadcrumbs, when what we really need is a big, crusty, fresh-from-the-oven loaf of home-baked bread slathered in butter.

Just acknowledging this felt good. I’ve got my own back and I’m 100% committed to maintaining an unwavering allegiance…to myself.

I’D LOVE TO SUPPORT YOU THIS SPRING! HERE ARE THREE OPPORTUNITIES:

• Schedule me to plan/facilitate a custom workshop or retreat for your company, team or organization on life balance, resiliency or self-renewal in 2019-2020. I’ve been speaking professionally for 25+ years on work-life balance and managing your energy.  My clients include Fortune 500 companies, national conferences, nonprofits and organizations. Learn more and email me at workshops at reneetrudeau dot com with questions.
• Find your tribe! Ideal for women in career or life transition. Learn more about our global sisterhood of RTA-Certified Facilitators  and empower/support women in your community while leading self-care groups/retreats! More here on becoming a RTA-Certified Facilitator and joining our inner circle (plus, $100 off training through 5/31 which includes private coaching with me).
• Renew and recharge with like-minded women. Join me Sat., June 8th from 1-6 in Brevard, NC (near Asheville) at the beautiful Brevard Yoga Center for our New Way of Being: Women’s Self-Renewal Mini Retreat; almost sold out! Learn more . View all retreats here. 

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