Self-Care Saved My Life!

Self-care is a big buzzword now. We've all heard it, but why is it important, and what is is really? I'll break it down for you and share what it has done for me.

SELF-CARE SAVED MY LIFE!

That's right! Before I began to care for myself aka self-care, I was just going along on the ride of life. I didn't give my journey much thought, nor how I was showing up in the world, or what I really wanted for my life. You see, many of us are living on auto-pilot, clueless to the crazy thoughts that keep us up at night, we think stressed is a way of living, and that we have no control of our lives.

WHAT SELF-CARE LOOKS LIKE FOR ME

We wake up tired, run around and get everyone up and out the door. We're lucky if we grab something to eat on our chaotic way out the door. We go to work where we're not happy. We rush out of work at the end of an exhausting day, late to grab kids who have to change for dance or sports in the car, and we're lucky if we have time to hit a drive-thru in all our daily madness. We finally get home to homework, forgotten permission slips, a pile of dishes, laundry that needs to be done for tomorrow, maybe a spouse or partner that you vent at and take your frustrations out on, and quality time with the person you used to adore, is just not in your energy reserve. And as you lay your head on the pillow and reflect on your crazy day, you realize tomorrow will be no different, which sets off the hamster wheel Olympics in your head and you cannot sleep. And the more you think of how tired and bitchy you'll be tomorrow, the worse it gets.

I'm sure you all know what I am talking about. That is how I lived my life, until the day I realized how miserable I was in my second marriage and I wanted to smother my husband with a pillow. That was my wake-up call to do something different.

That began my soul journey, to love and nurture myself back to happiness and repair the hurt, the wounds, and all the false beliefs I had carried my whole life. Although it was one of the toughest times of my life, I am the most grateful for it. It was an awakening to me, to my soul, to listen out to its cries to put me first, no love and nurture my relationship with me, instead of taking care of everyone else, like we often tend to do.

I will share the top 4 things that are the most dear to my heart, the things that saved my life and allow me to live a life beyond my wildest dreams.

1.) I began to read self-help books. Feeding my mind with new ways of thinking and being, challenged me to be more than I thought I could be. My favs are "Excuse Me Your Life Is Waiting" by Lynn Grabhorn, "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, "The Wisdom of Sundays" by Oprah, "The Universe Has Your Back" by Gabby Bernstein and anything by my dear spiritual teacher and mentor Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote. He truly helped transform my life.

2.) I began to listen to Podcasts and You-Tube videos to over-ride the crazy thoughts in my head. For the most part, when I was listening to something, I couldn't be thinking all the negative thoughts I normally would. Any moment I had, getting ready in the morning, showering, cooking, and driving were all spend listening to Super Soul Sunday, Wayne Dyer and everything he's ever done, Tony Robbins, Gabby Bernstein, Lewis Howes, Louise Hay, and The Law of Attraction, just to name a few. The positive things I was hearing and reading were beginning to take over the crap in my head and I began new ways of thinking.

3.) I also began to Journal, to write down who am I? What do I want? Who do I want to be? I also wrote down all the things I would complain about on one side and then I drew the line down the middle of the page, and on the other side wrote how I wanted it to be. I began to write about what I wanted and how I wanted to live and those things began to be my reality. I was able to go back and check off everything I said I had wanted to create for my life. It is just so cathartic to get your thoughts down on paper, and release them from being stored inside.

4.) The fourth thing that is life changing to me is meditation and being aware of my own energy. Being able to silently observe what's taking place in my body, along with quieting my mind, going within and connecting to the beauty of my soul, brings me deep peace, a brightened experience of life, huge gratitude and awe for magic of life and our universe, joy and so much love.

By doing all of this, I discovered what I am deeply passionate about. It's excites me like nothing else in life ever has. By taking care of me, I realized how many other women are out there struggling like I was, with no idea who they are, what they want, what to do or how to get there. The fire that has been ignited in me to learn and grow and share with other women is what lead me to create my business Soul Journey. I now work with women to empower them to Discover Who They Are and Create a Life They Love through one on one coaching, workshops, events and destination retreats. We explore what's not working, what is getting in the way, how to create new thoughts and behaviours that will create a life you love.

If you feel like I once did and are looking to feel the way I do now, I would love to take a journey with you. Please check out my website www.souljourney.co and you can book a free 30 Minute Discovery call with me to see how I can be of service to you.

Please give yourself permission to invest in you, your self-care and well-being. By doing so, you will be a way better mom, partner, daughter and friend as well as teaching your family the importance of self-care. The ripple effect will be amazing!

*Michelle Bateman is a transformational Soul Coach, speaker and writer and founder of Soul Journey. She created her company after her unhappy life fell apart and she was left to start over. Her Soul Journey led her to discover that she had the power to create a life she loved by changing her thoughts, beliefs and perceptions of how she saw her self, her life and what was possible, and transformed her life into one that was beyond her wildest dreams. She knew that other women were feeling lost and unfulfilled just as she was and they had no idea who they were, what they wanted or how to change. She knew she could make a difference helping women discover who they are and create a life they love.

Through one on one coaching, workshops, events and destination retreats, she also unites women on the same path to create a Soul Tribe to support each other on their journey.*