7 Ways to Nourish Your Spirit

Many of us spend much of our time taking care of other people, or operating at others' direction. Whether it's taking care of our families or working for a boss (or both), the point is that we spend a lot of time and energy putting other people first. Now and then we need to put ourselves first for a little while. Here are some of the ways that I do that.

1) Meditate. Even just a few minutes of focusing on nothing more than breathing slowly and deeply can be quite refreshing.

2) Find a piece of quiet. There are many ways of doing this:
a. Take a long bath, with candles (lock the bathroom door)
b. Take a walk in the park.
c. Go to the library.

3) Take yourself out to dinner. Never understimate the therapeutic value of an hour spent interacting only with someone whose job it is to take care of you. Trust me, this is huge.

4) Do something creative. Whether it's writing or practicing an art or craft, creating is very good for the soul.

5) Get lost. Go for a long drive in an area that either:
a. is lovely, or
b. you haven't explored before, or
c. both

6) Explore your world. If you can't spare the gas for aimles driving (understandable these days), take transit or walk to explore where you live. Is there a museum (art or history)? Is there an old part of town with interesting architecture or funky shops? Take a camera or sketchbook to capture what you see, or take a break at a cafe to write down your impressions.

7) Run away from home. We always have reasons why we can't take a full vacation right now, but how about a weekend? You don't even have to leave town. Just take a weekend at a nice hotel, or a bed and breakfast, or even a funky little motel. The point is to be somewhere other than home for a little while. Sure, the messes at home will still be there when you get back, but give yourself a break. Let someone else pick up after you for a couple of days. Enjoy any (or all) of the other activities listed, without anyone around clamoring for your attention.

What's cool is that if you and your honey need some bonding time, you can do any of these activities together. The point is to give yourself a brak from the routine, so you can recharge your batteries.