How ironic that All About Me is the title of one of my books
from the Flamingo Series, published by Harlequin. While the term “All About Me,”
sounds selfish, it is not meant to be. As women we spend way too much time taking
care of others and putting ourselves last.
We go to school, we work, we marry, we raise kids, and much
of our time and energy is spent on making others happy. In the process, we
neglect and forget who we are, and this is where we fall short.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not by any means suggesting that we
abandon friends, family, and other obligations. I am simply suggesting that you carve out a few minutes of every day to make time for you, especially during this
time of pandemonium when depression sets in easily, and social isolation makes us
batty.
Here are a few things we can do to take care of ourselves and maintain
our sanity. The beautiful thing is they don’t cost oodles of money.
Exercise
I am a firm believer in the power of exercise, especially during
stressful times. It got me through a very tough divorce, and the result was I
came out healthier. The good news is exercise does not have to cost money. You don’t need expensive workout equipment, or
cute workout clothes. Most of us with two legs are able to walk, and if you
have good knees, running is an alternative. At home, you can do stretches and bends,
and if motivation is lacking, instructors can be found on YouTube. For those
lucky enough to have good weather, and a pool, a good swim can re-energize.
Reading
Escape to a good book. There are so many to choose from and
so little time. They have the power to take you away. You can visit
faraway places; countries you’ve only dreamed of, and immerse yourself in the
culture. Here’s your opportunity to meet people from all over the world, be
introduced to foods we’ve never tried, and have experiences we’ve only dreamed
of. We have the power to pick and choose those books with happy endings. There’s
lots of free reading to download. Books like Calgon can carry you away.
Mani/Pedicure
Who needs an expensive salon when you can do it at home? Sit
back, put on some soothing music, pamper yourself and enjoy. Get out that soapy
water and an Emory board, soak those feet and hands, then take your time clipping
away. Polish those nails in some outrageous color you would never wear to work.
Gardening
This is a hobby I have taken up. There’s something about potting
or replanting flowers that is therapeutic and guarantees happiness with the end result. Cultivate plants that you never thought you
could possibly grow. With a little
effort, and imagination, your gardens will look amazing in just a matter of
weeks.
Scrapbooking/Photo Albums
What better time than to recreate special memories. Get out those
old photos, concert tickets and playbills you’ve been saving. I can’t think of
a better time to organize and capture those
special moments in whatever book you’ve been saving. In the process of doing you’ll be reliving more
joyous times when there was social bonding.
Cooking
Food brings people together. It’s bonding force is witnessed
at holidays, and at life changing events. Food is rumored to be the way to a
man’s heart. For those of us who enjoy cooking, the preparation can be a good
de-stressor, and the end result guarantees you’ve got a menu planned for weeks,
freeing you from returning to that kitchen morning, noon and night.
Reconnecting
I am a huge advocate of using this time to reconnect with people
we may have lost touch with. Get out that phone, make that call. Reach out by
text. Send an email, write a letter; almost a lost art. True friendships survive disagreements and last
and eternity. Shared memories bond two
people. Do not underestimate the power of a good laugh.
In these stressful times, make the time to do something for
you. You can't help others if you don't take care of you!
About
Marcia King-Gamble
Romance writer,
Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky
and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry
executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United
States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8
novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and
caring for her animal family.
Be sure to join
her mailing list.
4 comments:
Truer words were never spoken/written, Marcia. Now is the time to take care of ourselves and your list gives a plethora of examples. I'm in the reading, walking and talking to friends and family categories. Not so much the cooking, gardening, scrapbooking ones although I have boxes of albums and pictures, etc. that I'd love to make digital.
Great advice and suggestions, Marcia! Your idea of reliving moments of connection through photo albums and scrap booking sounds very soothing. Thank you!
Judith,
I am in the reading, closet cleaning and gardening mode (was never a gardener before,) and yes, I have been connecting with many old friends. Since we are on lockdown, communication becomes even more important. In many ways this is good Time to reflect.
Sarah, Unfortunate as this situation is, we finally have the time to catch up on all those projects we've been pushing off. Although I haven't done so in a while, flipping through old albums bring back so many good memories. Plus long after we're gone those memories can be shared.
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