A Feast for the Soul

A Feast for the SOUL

This past weekend I went on a much needed adventure.  I left my children with their grandparents and drove from my quiet, small Virginia town, North to New York City.  I attended an amazing, inspiring conference at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I found myself among 1,200 like-minded souls, listening to the country's top teachers/leaders of Nutrition and Wellness.  I stayed in a hotel room in the 62nd floor overlooking Manhattan and the entire city.  I ate good food, wore nice clothes, had amazing conversations with beautiful people.  I was also able to visit with family on either end of the trip.  It was like a feast for my soul.

I came back home full of energy and bubbling with motivation, not to mention more relaxed, patient and appreciative of my beautiful children.  I was only gone Friday through Monday, but it was the longest I'd ever been away from them.  In the eight years that I have been a Mom, I have NEVER taken an entire weekend for myself!

 Most women I know (Moms in particular) are great at taking care of their jobs, their pets, their husbands or boyfriends, their children, their homes, etc.  Why is it that the last person on the list is often OURSELVES?  We have all heard that "in order to fully love another person, you must fully love yourself."  We all know that when we do manage a few hours or even a few moments for ourselves, we are always refreshed and renewed and better able to take care of those around us.  But why don't we make it a priority?  Why does self-care often get misinterpreted as self-indulgence?  Why don't we do it DAILY?

When my children were small, I rarely asked for help.  When I had to leave them, even for a doctor's appointment, I would feel guilty.  It seemed ridiculously overindulgent for me to take time for myself.  Thank goodness my mother would convince me to go to the gym or go shopping while she watched the kids.  Over the past few years I've learned the importance of taking advantage of the time I do have.  And making the time to feed my soul gives me the energy to meet the needs of my children.


Not enough time in the day!  I have too much to do!  Got to drive the kids to school, get to work, work all day, go to a meeting, sit in traffic, make dinner, do dishes, make sure the kids get their homework done, have their bath, get a story read, feed the dog, clean the car, etc,etc.  We have so many good excuses of why we can't carve out time for ourselves.  We get stressed, we get exhausted, we get angry or anxious, and eventually, we get Burnt Out!  What many people don't realize is this 'burn out', this constant state of stress, can lead to weight gain, sleep disorders, digestive problems, Adrenal Fatigue, and autoimmune diseases.


It's often not possible to take a whole entire weekend for ourselves.  It may not even be possible to take a whole day for ourselves on a regular basis (though if you can, it is highly recommended!)  Our daily to-do lists will not get any shorter, but they will certainly feel a lot less hectic if we make self-care a DAILY priority.

FIVE easy ways to take better care of YOU....

1. RELAXATION- You may not "have time" for an hour-long yoga class, or maybe you are not ready to meditate for twenty minutes a day, but YOU CAN start by taking five minutes to sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing.  (Hint: With sunglasses on, this can be done almost anywhere!)

2. EXERCISE- You may not be able to get to the gym for an hour-long aerobics class every day, but you can take a brisk 20 minute walk outside anytime.  (On your lunch break, perhaps?)

3. EAT A HEALTHY DIET- We all know that we should cut out the bad and add in the good.  Eat less processed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.  Take the time to make a home-cooked meal.

4. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP- Make a routine for yourself at bedtime.  (We do this for our children, why don't we do this for ourselves?)  Instead of watching tv or surfing the web right before bed, turn off the screen and read a book, write in a journal, or take a bubble bath.  

5. GET ORGANIZED- While the act of cleaning and organizing doesn't sound much like self-care, the end result will make your life much easier and much more relaxed.  Take it one room at a time.

Are YOU ready to learn more about Self-Care and how taking better care of yourself can improve your Health and Happiness?  Check out my Website: www.kimdiazwellness.com

If you would like to learn more about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Check out www.integrativenutrition.com