I have been listening to “The Art of Extreme Self Care” by Cheryl Richardson on audio book. It’s a fabulous resource for caregivers. Through her examples, Cheryl helps us understand that taking care of ourselves is more important than taking care of others. We should be #1 on our own list, in order to give our best to our loved ones and the world at large. That’s a hard concept for most caregivers to understand or accept. We’re programmed to take care of others first and to put ourselves at the end of the list, if we’re on that list at all.
I’ve stalled in my weight loss for now, but I’m beefing up my walking. I had a great restorative walk yesterday with my friend, Libby, and her dog Buddy. There’s nothing better than to be outside on a beautiful day with friends of the human and canine variety. Libby and I looked for interesting birds, while Buddy boy was happily running through small puddles, getting his doggy paws gloriously muddy. We all came away tired but happy.
Buddy the Wonder dog
In addition to picking up my exercise, my extreme self care also includes clearing the clutter from my home environment. I need sanctuary in my home and having piles of papers (mom and dad produce a TON of insurance and medicare paperwork along with bank statements to be reconciled and debit card bills to be entered) everywhere does not give me that peace. So today it’s all about clearing and cleaning. And a nice soul nourishing nap. I can hardly wait!
