As a way of honoring yourself as a mother and a woman, I encourage you to practice some of these self care strategies that have been helpful for me and my clients:

Give yourself permission to add self care to your life. It’s OK for it to be all about you sometimes. Think of self care as any act of nurturing, meaning anything that enhances your level of health, wellness and happiness. Look at all areas such as physical, mental, social, spiritual and financial. Paying an overdue bill can do just as much for your level of wellness sometimes as a warm bath.

Recognize and blast the barriers. Ask yourself: what is preventing you from making self care an everyday occurrence? Some of my clients’ barriers that we often work through are feelings of guilt, lack of time, finances, lack of support or the need for perfectionism. If any of these ring true for you, take some time to determine a plan as to how you can overcome them. As Dr. Phil says..”You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge”.
Ditch the Superwoman Syndrome. This syndrome is adding unnecessary stress and sickness to our lives. We place such unrealistic expectations on ourselves. The guilt we feel as mothers often fuels this Superwoman Syndrome. Start letting go of your mental chatter; practice saying No and remember no one’s life is perfect. As mothers we need to take Superwoman off the pedestal and start putting a more realistic, imperfect, yet happier Mom up there.
Practice acts of self care on a daily basis. Start creating a daily habit routine.
Remember that small acts can have big pay offs. It is the small yet consistent acts that really pay the biggest dividends toward your health. Instead of working out one hour every fourth day, try 25 min on daily basis. The smaller acts are more likely to become a routine.

Allow yourself to dream. Moms can and deserve a life beyond motherhood. If you are craving something new in your life, ask yourself what are some of the dreams you have been putting off. I support Moms in making their dreams come true. Coaching moms in winning the game of life fulfillment while thriving in motherhood is what I do best. I see mothers come alive. I see their pursuit of passion finally realized. I see their ability to thrive in motherhood increase because they are following their dreams. A personally fulfilled woman makes an amazing mother.

Get yourself a pair of rose colored glasses. Having a healthy perception of life and a positive attitude is one of the best self care strategies you can practice. It is a universal law that what you focus on expands so what are you focusing on? Is your glass always half empty? Do you complain about everything and everybody? Take some time to see what your inner chatter is saying. Then consciously take steps to changing your thoughts and seeing the glass as half full. A daily reflection of gratitude and appreciation goes along way toward improving your self care, your self worth, and your whole life.
I acknowledge all mothers out there who on a daily basis participate in one of the most challenging, yet rewarding roles any woman can have in her life time. Take an opportunity to acknowledge yourself for the many big and little things you do. Honor yourself from a place of kindness and gentleness. We do what we know to be the best at the time. Forgive yourself when needed and celebrate yourself whether you think you need it or not. We all deserve to be celebrated. Here’s to you…Cheers!!!
Article written by Peggy Porter-Helping you master motherhood. 

All Rights Reserved. Article may be reprinted in its entirety with resource box included.

Peggy Porter is a coach, author and speaker. Peggy is known as The Success Coach for Mom Entrepreneurs and helps them plan, prioritize and be more productive so they can make more money in their business, spend more quality time with family and bring more energy and less stress to their own lives. In her fr*ee report The 3 Essential Keys to Mom Entrepreneur Success found at www.peggyporter.com , Peggy shows Mom Entrepreneurs what is needed to have a successful family and successful business, at the same time!

Wellness Add new tag, guilt, happiness, mother, self care, Super Woman Syndrome, unrealistic expectations, Wellness, working mom

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is in life?  Do you believe you are here for a reason?  For many people, these questions are far too abstract and difficult, yet others love to ponder the answers.

What I have noticed is that as women age they become more inquisitive, more curious as to why they are here and what they are REALLY here to do.

I am one who loves to continually ask myself this question and am extremely interested in what other people believe.  Some are very clear on what their purpose is and many go through this life never knowing or even asking.

Personally, I believe our main purpose is to experience joy on a daily basis. What gives us joy and how we bring it into our lives however is all very individual.  The difficulty often lies in the fact that as busy women we may not take the time to really ask, “what truly brings me joy?”

If your life purpose or mission is something you want to discover, start asking yourself some powerful questions.  What drives or inspires you?  When do you feel truly happy and connected?  What brings you joy?  Where do you feel you contribute the most?  What do you value?  What energizes you?  When you leave this world, what do you want people to remember you for?  The answers to these questions can often help you develop your life purpose.

Knowing and believing you are put here on this earth for a particular reason can bring much joy, happiness and contentment into your life.  We tend to struggle less and enjoy life more.  Often you hear people say, “I feel stuck,” or “I don’t know what I am supposed to do with my life.”  In my coaching sessions with women, these are common statements.  Discovering your purpose gives focus to your life, therefore more meaning and clarity.

The first step to determining your life purpose is to become clearer on your priorities and to begin practicing better self-care.  Chaos creates confusion so look at ways to bring more balance and peace to your life.  Start a habit of always asking yourself questions.

Self questioning is one of the best ways to learn more about who we are and why we are here.  Reflect on and journal the answers to the questions I asked earlier.  Be inquisitive about life in general.  There is so much to be discovered.  Be patient and enjoy the process.

Determining your purpose can be an ongoing journey, but once you discover it, you will attract everything you need in this life.  When you know why you are here, the journey becomes a whole lot more fun.  So hang on and enJOY the ride!!!

Balance, Family, Wellness life purpose, self care

As a way of honoring yourself as a mother and a woman, I encourage you to practice some of these self care strategies that have been helpful for me and my clients:

1.       Give yourself permission to add self care to your life. It’s OK for it to be all about you sometimes. Think of self care as any act of nurturing, meaning anything that enhances your level of health, wellness and happiness. Look at all areas such as physical, mental, social, spiritual and financial. Paying an overdue bill can do just as much for your level of wellness sometimes as a warm bath.

2.       Recognize and blast the barriers. Ask yourself: what is preventing you from making self care an everyday occurrence? Some of my clients’ barriers that we often work through are feelings of guilt, lack of time, finances, lack of support or the need for perfectionism. If any of these ring true for you, take some time to determine a plan as to how you can overcome them. As Dr. Phil says..”You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge”.

3.       Ditch the Superwoman Syndrome. This syndrome is adding unnecessary stress and sickness to our lives. We place such unrealistic expectations on ourselves. The guilt we feel as mothers often fuels this Superwoman Syndrome. Start letting go of your mental chatter; practice saying No and remember no one’s life is perfect. As mothers we need to take Superwoman off the pedestal and start putting a more realistic, imperfect, yet happier Mom up there.

4.       Practice acts of self care on a daily basis. Start creating a daily habit routine.

5.       Remember that small acts can have big pay offs. It is the small yet consistent acts that really pay the biggest dividends toward your health. Instead of working out one hour every fourth day, try 25 min on daily basis. The smaller acts are more likely to become a routine.

6.       Allow yourself to dream. Moms can and deserve a life beyond motherhood. If you are craving something new in your life, ask yourself what are some of the dreams you have been putting off. I support Moms in making their dreams come true. Coaching moms in winning the game of life fulfillment while thriving in motherhood is what I do best. I see mothers come alive. I see their pursuit of passion finally realized. I see their ability to thrive in motherhood increase because they are following their dreams. A personally fulfilled woman makes an amazing mother.

7.       Get yourself a pair of rose colored glasses. Having a healthy perception of life and a positive attitude is one of the best self care strategies you can practice. It is a universal law that what you focus on expands so what are you focusing on? Is your glass always half empty? Do you complain about everything and everybody? Take some time to see what your inner chatter is saying. Then consciously take steps to changing your thoughts and seeing the glass as half full. A daily reflection of gratitude and appreciation goes along way toward improving your self care, your self worth, and your whole life.

I acknowledge all mothers out there who on a daily basis participate in one of the most challenging, yet rewarding roles any woman can have in her life time. Take an opportunity to acknowledge yourself for the many big and little things you do. Honor yourself from a place of kindness and gentleness. We do what we know to be the best at the time. Forgive yourself when needed and celebrate yourself whether you think you need it or not. We all deserve to be celebrated. Here’s to you…Cheers!!!

Article written by Peggy Porter-The Success Coach for Mom Entrepreneurs

All Rights Reserved. Article may be reprinted in its entirety with resource box included.

Peggy Porter is a coach, author and speaker.  Peggy is known as The Success Coach for Mom Entrepreneurs and helps them plan, prioritize and be more productive so they can make more money in their business, spend more quality time with family and bring more energy and less stress to their own lives.   In her free report The 3 Essential Keys to Mom Entrepreneur Success found at www.peggyporter.com , Peggy shows Mom Entrepreneurs what is needed to have a successful family and successful business, at the same time!

Balance, Wellness self care, Wellness, working mom

Even Oprah Needs Help With This Jan 26 2009

It’s a simple concept that makes perfect logical sense. It is something that I have coached women on since I started my coaching business.  It is common theme that I talk about with my clients in the addiction facility where I work. It is easy to say, but for many, impossible to do. Even Oprah admits she struggles with this. 

SELF CARE.  Doesn’t sound too challenging at first glance.  Actually many of us give really good lip service to it.  Then why, as a society, are we not taking it seriously.

Self Care is the foundation for EVERYTHING.  It is one of the first things I look at with a coaching client, how are they looking after themselves, really looking after themselves.

Lack of self care is responsible for most of the challenging issues in our lives-our low energy, sickness, weight, feelings of overwhelm, stress, anxiety, job dissatisfaction, unhealthy relationships, depression and so on.

We need to start taking inventory of our lives and asking ourselves …Where am I on my priority list?  When is the last time I did something for ME?  Are the actions I take on a daily basis filling me up or draining me? Am I living a life that fills me with joy?  If not, why not?  What needs to change?

These are hard questions to answer and often it is easier not to answer them honestly. True self care is much more than the physical acts of exercise, healthy food or going for a massage. It is taking the time to recognize where in your life you are feeling stuck.  It is about not avoiding the challenging issues of our lives, the ones that may require change and often times discomfort and even emotional pain.   

Avoiding the things in our lives that aren’t working for us only ends up in an internal struggle that can cause many external challenges. Recognizing the areas of our lives that need change and accepting this is the first step towards honoring the practice of self care.  Then making the commitment to do something about it comes next.

Applying self care to our lives, doesn’t always mean we do it ourselves.  Often, real self care may require you to reach out for help from a friend, a family member, or a professional.

So, this year why not make SELF CARE your focus and ask the question daily…Where am I on my priority list? And then listen very carefully because deep down, you know the answer.

Wellness anxiety, coach women, depression, oprah, overwhelm, priority, self care, stress