The Gift of Self-Care

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day in North America, the UK, France and Australia. There’s a joy in expressing affection for our significant other with some sort of token or celebration, or both. But kind words and sweet actions can extend beyond our one and only and it’s the perfect time to gift ourselves with the same love and thoughtfulness in the form of self-care.

Good self-care is having respect for our own well-being and happiness. It starts with recognizing where we can judge or be critical of ourselves, especially when negative thoughts or feelings arise, and choosing kindness. With practice, we find we can consistently choose more compassionate behavior. This can lead to making healthier choices for ourselves in mind, body and spirit. A great way to ensure we continuously find ways to recharge our batteries is to create a workable, flexible self-care plan.

Living a Mosaic Life

I recently had a conversation with Kristie McLean, a multi-media documentarian, coach and global advocate, who shared an alternative approach for those who may have felt frustrated by past, well-meaning career advice to “follow their passion.” Kristie recommends welcoming all interests into your work by exploring activities you enjoy and creating a value-aligned portfolio.

When she was creating her own portfolio many years ago and exploring themes running through her numerous passions, she asked herself this question: “Are there ways you can connect your passions in unusual and creative ways so you don’t walk around feeling splintered and fractured, but instead, make a beautiful mosaic of all these different things?”

What is Warrior Spirit?

I have a saying hanging in my office that reads: “The life you live is the lesson you teach.” It reminds me that in order to be a thought leader in the women’s wellness space, the words I write and speak matter. The actions I take matter. And the daily choices I make matter. They matter not only to me, but to those who give me the privilege of their attention as part of the Athena Wellness tribe, through reading my writing, listening to my podcast and being a student or client.

This doesn’t mean I have to get it right all the time. The people I’ve learned the most from, whether I’ve met them in person or studied them from afar, embodied the qualities I wanted to enhance in my own life. And I learned as much from their missteps as I did from their successes. Witnessing their growth gave me permission to expand my own inner horizons and possibilities. It’s a lifelong practice – one that honors my Warrior Spirit.

Holding the Empty Space

In the weeks leading up to 2021, every time I thought about the new year, the image that came to mind was of my opened hands, palms up, forming a cup. Curious. I had no idea what it meant, but it felt like a clue.

For decades I’ve been a bit of New Year’s resolutions devotee. I’ve made basic resolutions in my twenties and created elaborate goals and related milestones in my thirties. The last ten years have been more about heart-based intentions – deeper changes on how I wanted to live my life. Always actionable and measurable. But 2021 was proving to be more elusive.

Clearing the Way for the New Year

It had been on my list of “to dos” for way too long. You know those tasks that get transferred from one week to the next, then to the next month, the next season? For me, it was sorting through boxes from my last move. Sounds innocuous enough, but I moved into my home more than five years ago. Sigh…

What moved me forward? Watching the wildfires burn from Los Angeles to Seattle during this record-setting year. I felt a strange combination of fear for those evacuating and my friends who live in those states, awe at the destructive power of nature and reverence for those called to the front lines to combat and report on it.

And then I asked myself this question: “If you needed to quickly evacuate your home, what would you take?”

An Unusual Holiday Season

It was Thanksgiving in the U.S. a few days ago. For me, and I’m guessing for many of you, it was an unusual day. As someone who has celebrated with throngs of relatives my entire life, the quiet was a new experience. But a good day emerged out of the strangeness, one filled with reflection and gratitude.

During a long walk after a minimal but delicious midday holiday meal, I stumbled upon a realization that stopped me in my tracks. This year, with its volatile ups and downs, is no accident. This year is a bridge from where we were to where we’re going. This year is leading us toward new territory. This year is asking us to ready ourselves for the journey ahead. Pow! With that as the backdrop, I thought about the upcoming month. Here are the questions I posed and some musings on each.

The Pros and Cons of Fitness Tracking

For years, I have been a relentless fitness tracker. In the 1990s, I kept paper logs of my workouts and meals. In the 2000s, I graduated to looking up macros online for more precision. When wearables were introduced, I tracked my steps, my heart rate and the distance of my runs. Then apps became commonplace and I was in heaven – one place to keep all of my fitness metrics along with my goals and trending capabilities. Ultimately, fatigue hit.

Business metrics are a way of life in the corporate world and I lived by them for decades. They are still important to me as a business owner, but my daily activities are no longer ruled by incremental measurement. Perhaps this is why I put my fitness tracker and related tools away. Here’s what I learned…

“The Athena Principles” Key Takeaways (Tenth/Final in a Series)

Wellness transformation is like a slow-motion chain reaction. When you find ways to reconnect with yourself, you make better wellness choices to support the aim to live more wholeheartedly. That, in turn, leads to optimized well-being. Again and again, in the thousands of decisions you make each day, you will become more aligned with your deepest desires.

“The Athena Principles” Ongoing Learning Curriculums (Ninth in a Series)

Researchers have shown that learning can change our brain chemistry for the better by improving cognitive connections and adaptability to change. In addition, learning deepens our understanding of different subject matters, helping us to stay relevant and engaged.

Learning new things about interesting topics also fuels enthusiasm, especially if you build this learning into your everyday life. Daily learning keeps you curious and can lead you outside of your comfort zone (where the magic happens) to an overall richer, more creative life experience.

“The Athena Principles” Morning & Evening Routines (Eighth in a Series)

Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” A great way to keep yourself aligned, on-track and engaged is to establish and follow a workable morning and evening routine. I haven’t met or read about someone I respect who doesn’t have some sort of daily routine, especially in wellness, sports or business. Once I understood that their lives were built deliberately, I began emulating their practices until I found a combination that worked well for me.

“The Athena Principles” Accountability – Principle 5 (Seventh in a Series)

The last of five Principles outlined in The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is Accountability. Okay, I admit it, this isn’t the sexiest of the Principles. But I define accountability as a systematic way to check in with what you commit to accomplish, celebrate the wins, and compassionately adjust where needed. It’s also a powerful determinant of whether or not your wellness intentions will be realized.

“The Athena Principles” Growth Mindset – Principle 4 (Sixth in a Series)

The fourth of five Principles outlined in The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is Growth Mindset. How the wellness journey is viewed determines one’s level of progress and enjoyment. When you adopt a growth mindset, you begin to focus on what is right in your life. The more you practice this mindset, the more you’ll being to experience challenges as opportunities that will, in turn, position you to move forward with more confidence and ease.

“The Athena Principles” Consistency – Principle 3 (Fifth in a Series)

The third of five Principles outlined in The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is Consistency, defined as the art of staying committed and engaged, especially during challenging times. When working toward improving well-being, consistent action is the critical factor in determining success because it leads to reliable outcomes and results. The reverse is true as well – inconsistent action usually equates to less-than-optimal results.

“The Athena Principles” Self-Compassion – Principle 1 (Third in a Series)

The first of five Principles outlined in The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is self-compassion defined as the care for one’s own well-being in the form of self-acceptance and nurturing support.

The benefits of self-compassion are broad. Research has shown it can improve self-worth, motivation, depression, body image and overall happiness. People who have self-compassion practices develop the ability to administer kindness to themselves as soon as they recognize they are hurting.

Midlife, Well-being, WellnessKathy RobinsonJuly 15, 2020self-compassion, women, wellness, well-being, midlife, journaling

“The Athena Principles” Methodology Overview (Second in a Series)

The Athena Principles combines wellness philosophy with a methodology that includes:

· Tools to assess your current state of wellness, provide clarity, track progress, and set new objectives;

· Principles, which provide a solid foundation and serve as a guide for current actions and future decisions; and

· Practices that, when performed regularly, aim to create good habits and increased well-being.

The methodology recognizes that wellness is a fluid process that thrives with a flexible approach. It regards wellness as a practice, honors and cultivates inner knowing, and provides accountability. It can provide you with a foundation for making change, a vantage point to help you see where you’re working against yourself, and a scalable process that can grow with you.

The Athena Principles: Book Overview (First in a Series)

The core message of the book The Athena Principles: Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is: Reconnecting to our mind, body and spirit through the exploration of five Principles (self-compassion, intention, consistency, positive mindset and accountability) and related practices (writing, meditation and positive action) leads to wholehearted living and optimized well-being. Readers will learn what living wholeheartedly means for them along with ideas to create a customized self-care plan that nourishes their deepest desires.

Lessons Learned from My 98-year-old Father’s COVID-19 Recovery

My father was born in 1922. When my mother passed a few years back, he decided it was time to sell his home and move into an (un)assisted living facility. Aside from some industrial deafness and impaired sight from macular degeneration, he is remarkably spry in both mind and body and strong in spirit. And last month, he tested positive for the coronavirus.

Midlife, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonJune 1, 2020Women, Wellness, Well-being, Pandemic, Coronavirus

In the Pandemic's Wake

I’ve been holding a question posed by life coach Martha Beck, who likened the pandemic’s ascendance to a tidal wave, wiping out the old ways of being. But, she offered, you could also think of it as a wave you could ride, like a surfer. What would it take to let go, have the courage to point your surfboard over the lip of the wave and let gravity glide you to the shore?

Midlife, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonMay 15, 2020Pandemic, women, midlife, well-being, wellness

Learning Through the Pandemic

In the northeastern United States, we have experienced six full weeks of “Stay at Home” orders with at least two (and probably four) more weeks on the horizon. In my April 1st blog post, I wrote about the things I was doing to keep my well-being intact during this time. I’ve kept vigilant with my practices, utilizing the green, yellow, red coding I described so I could easily track my progress. Here’s how I’ve been doing:

Midlife, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonMay 1, 2020women, midlife, wellness, well-being, pandemic

Being With Things As They Are

As we move beyond the one-month anniversary of the Stay-At-Home orders to maintain social distancing with no definitive end in sight, I have noticed a personal shift. While I’m attending to all of the professional and personal things that need to be done . . .

Midlife, Wellness, Women, Well-beingKathy RobinsonApril 15, 2020Women, Wellness, Wellbeing, Pandemic

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