Summer is still here and with that your calendar is filled to the max. You are loving all the backyard parties, al fresco dinners, vacation time and get-togethers with friends and family. However, with this hectic schedule, you are starting to slack on some of your other self commitments. Your were doing so well with self discipline while you were going to yoga classes and eating lots of fruit and veggies.  Making time to go to BBQs and eating out has made that quite difficult.  You occasionally allowed yourself dessert, but now perhaps you are having dessert (and not just a bite) more than once a week. Oh, but now you also may not have the time for an additional workout because you’ve told friends that you’re joining in on a get-together.  Maybe you could just say no to the get-together?  That’s not so easy.  Your friends are texting you and cajoling you to rethink your decision.  Self care boundaries – they can be so difficult to set!

Sticking to commitments to yourself is tough because being the loving person you are, you want to make everyone happy.  The result is that you may be neglecting yourself.  This causes a cycle of self sabotage by consciously or unconsciously breaking your commitment to your self care and then moving into self criticism because you broke that commitment.  You then quickly end up on a slippery slope of giving up all together on trying to feed your needs and get caught up in the shopping sprees, parties, mani-pedis, double café mochas, instead of just healthfully practicing loving self care.  So, how do you break the cycle and get back to your self commitment without shelling out all your cash?  Here are 3 ways to practice loving self care without spending a dime:

Loving self care tips #1: Give yourself daily 15 minutes of quiet time.

This is a ‘no matter what’ self commitment.  Make it a habit like brushing your teeth.  Get up 15 minutes early if you need to or put a “do not disturb” sign on your bedroom door.  Use this time to pray, journal, stretch, focus on your breathing, sit with your eyes closed or stare into nature.  This practice will help you reduce stress and lower your cortisol levels to move into a calm, loving and serene state.  Plus, you’ll find that you’ll have a lot more energy again, which might have a similar result as the one you get from eating all your fruits and veggies!

Loving self care tips #2: Schedule a vent session with a close friend.

Ask a friend to just listen to you get everything off your chest that’s bothering you and robbing you of your energy, like beating yourself up for not sticking to your self commitment.  But do set a time limit for yourself.  Also, make it clear to the friend that you’re not looking for advice.  The purpose of the vent session is to clear stuff out and not continue to dwell on it.  Acknowledging your feelings and not trying to sugarcoat them or suppressing them is one of the best self care tips.  Women often think that they have to be the loving Ms. Smiley and upbeat all the time.  But you’re only hurting yourself by holding it all in.

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