Life moves pretty fast these days. Even here in our small town nestled in the mountains, it’s easy to forget about those little things that matter most. We get caught up in the work-a-day routines and forget to take time… to take care.

So what is self care? Self care is about asking yourself, what do I need? And it’s about taking steps to meet those needs. In a society where our attention is so commonly drawn outward, where distractions are ubiquitous, where we are taught to make our jobs, our kids, our spouses top priority, how do we turn our focus inward? How do we practice self care?

I think it’s all about creating space for the little moments, the good habits, the healthy choices that contribute to overall well-being.

It’s about intentionally creating health – body, mind and spirit.

Oh, but where do we start?

Let’s start by checking in with ourselves. “Hi there, how are you today?”

The simplicity of this one step makes it radical.

Now the really radical part, listen to the answer and give yourself permission to act accordingly. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself.  To practice radical self care.

Self care can be as simple as slowing down long enough to enjoy a cup of tea or as extreme as booking a long weekend away from it all. It can be calling your faraway friend for a long chat or calling your doctor about that thing you’ve been meaning to get checked out. It can be acknowledging something that is causing you suffering and taking step towards healing or it can be about finding things that bring you joy and finding ways to welcome them into your life.

Most importantly radical self care is a journey. Start where you are, see where it takes you.