Self Nurture

Copyright (c) 2007 Char Cooper RN, MSN, APRN

An important part of wellness and overall feeling good is Self Nurture. What is self nurture? In a nutshell, it's taking time for yourself. Wow, I can almost hear some of you yelling "Time for myself! I don't have time for myself! I'm too busy!" But if you don't take time for yourself, what quality of yourself are you offering others?

When I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, my husband Jim says "Who makes your schedule." At the time it's usually an irritating reminder, but its true, who makes my schedule? I do. I choose what to prioritize and commit to. We all have busy lives but it is up to us to schedule in time for ourselves. Rest and relaxation "R&R" isn't a luxury but a necessity for physical, spiritual, and mental health.

Why is it so much easier for us to nurture others? Self sacrifice-putting your job, spouse, kids etc. first all the time serves no one in the long run. You may become resentful, angry and depleted on all levels (mind, body, and Spirit). On the other hand self nurture will recharge these areas of your life. Research on self nurturing shows many benefits including strengthing of the immune system. If research had a way to measure it I'm sure they would find an increase in "feel good cells" too.

The basics of self nurture are eating well, getting exercise, enough rest, and time for play and enjoyment and it doesn't need to cost anything. Examples of self nurturing can be as simple as taking a walk, eating a good meal, taking a nap, speaking kindly to yourself, and focusing on the 80% that IS working in your life. Self nurture is different for everyone. Ask yourself "What is it that I need? "What can I let go of so I can create time for myself?" "How can I nurture myself today?"

You may be wondering what a picture of the Statue of Liberty has to do with self nurture? The picture is to represent New York. New York is where Jim and I went for a couple of days to have fun and nurture ourselves. This trip was in the planning for awhile. It was my Christmas present from Jim. The only thing I knew I wanted to do was go to the cake decorating supply places. For those of you that don't know it, I make cakes as a hobby and small business. We stayed at The Benjamin Hotel, we have been there before and knew we were in for a treat, cozy robes, beds and pillows, excellent customer service and friendly staff. I loved exploring the cake decorating supply places and food markets in Chelsea. We saw a show, ate at a French restaurant (Jim's favorite food), and enjoyed spending time together.

So after a little self nurture I felt recharged and plunged right into learning how to create this new newsletter format (pretty cool, huh?). Wishing you all some time to nurture yourself.