“I want to be alone,” said Greta Garbo in the movie Grand Hotel. I hear it, with Garbo’s accent, as “I vant to be alone” accompanied by a dramatic hand to the forehead. Maybe that’s because I crave any chance to spend time alone. I’m a woman who enjoys periods[…]
All posts under Self-Care
Engage in Your Version of Stone Therapy
I first learned of stone therapy from my friend, Bob. Bob had done exemplary work for a mining company for much of his adult life. About ten years before he was due to retire, he got a new boss. The two men didn’t get along. When Bob returned from a[…]
It’s National Scrabble Day. Want to Play?
Every other Tuesday throughout the winter and early spring, I meet up with a friend. We take turns hosting, which means preparing lunch. We also take turns winning (although she wins about 65% of the time) as we play one or two games of Scrabble. Since today (April 13th) is[…]
Take Time for a Walk in the Woods
I recently spent two and a half hours tromping about in the woods on my property. My walk in the woods was, at first, motivated by money. Twenty minutes in, my walk in the woods was about pleasure, peacefulness, and learning. In other words, it became an activity of self-care.[…]
Do You Really Need to Drink More Water?
When it comes to habits for better health, many experts will urge you to drink more water. In fact, water consumption is such a big deal that one website offers their top 100 apps that help you track your water consumption, and that’s just for iOS. It would seem to[…]
Ten 10-Minute Ways to Celebrate Dr. Seuss Day
Recalling and reliving comforting childhood moments is a great form of self-care. Since we are a generation raised on Dr. Seuss, I’m willing to bet that there will be at least one 10-minute activity in the following list that will reignite some of those wonderful memories. Take ten minutes today[…]
Guided Meditation Help for Beginners and Skeptics
You would have to be living under a rock to imagine that meditation is a zero-sum activity. Study after study confirms the benefits of meditation for everything from decreasing anxiety, depression and stress to improving memory, compassion, and attention. So if you haven’t started to meditate, or if you have started[…]
10 Reasons to Indulge Your Love for Dark Chocolate
This is a good news/bad news self-care post. If you consider yourself a chocoholic, a woman “excessively fond” of chocolate, the good news is that you should feel free to indulge. The bad news is that’s only true if your passion is for dark chocolate. The good news is that[…]
I Hope You Will Buy Yourself Flowers
I have been buying myself flowers every week or two from late autumn to late spring for the past twenty years. Until I started my research for this post, I had no idea that my flower-buying habits were unusual. How about you? Do you buy yourself flowers? If you don’t,[…]
I Resolve to Enjoy More Pajama Days in 2017
On January 1st this year, I broke a pattern that had gone unchallenged for better than forty years. This year, January 1st was one of three holiday pajama days. I wore my dark blue pajama pants and appropriately embroidered “Expect the Best” light blue pajama top all day. After a[…]