Learning to Love Yourself

2017 for me is all about finding my zen. 

There have been a number of periods in my life where I have found heart warming happiness and relaxation but it has only ever lasted for a short period of time. Either my situation or circumstances have changed or one negative soul or another has witnessed my positive mood and set out to destroy it.

As the years have passed I have learnt not to let other people's actions or reactions have much of an impact on my well-being. But events are a different matter. Life can get stressful sometimes and it's easy to let one burden after another distract us from the goodness in life. We become fixated on our problems and lose sight of ourselves.

So it's important that we regularly check in with ourselves. We can often spend all of our time looking after others, running errands and working. But we forget to ask ourselves 'Am I okay?'. Or think 'What could I do today to improve myself?'.

I am guilty of frequently putting myself last. My child, my husband, the 2 dogs and the 4 cats will all get their breakfast before I do. I will make appointments for my child, or encourage my husband to go and do his hobbies but I will often make excuses for myself; "I'd love to go on that course but my family needs me" or "I could do with some time out, but it's not fair on my husband when he's been working all week".

Well HELLO 2017, that is all about to change! I am finding my zen and therefore the first step I must take is to Learn to Love myself which includes looking after myself. I invite you to join me!

I am just back from having spent a night away from my family staying at a 5 star hotel.  The hotel was only a 10 minute drive from my house but it did not matter. I felt like I was a million miles away from my everyday routine.

When I got to the hotel, I checked in and settled into my room before heading to the hotel Spa. Having booked myself in for a Full Body Stress Buster Massage, a beautiful and well made-up masseur was waiting to greet me. Yes please! After my massage I took full advantage of the spa facilities, enjoying a swim in the pool, a bit of bubble bonanza in the jacuzzi and some relaxation time in the sauna and steam rooms.

I then headed back to my room for an evening of me. I ran myself a bath and pampered myself with some organic products that I had purchased especially for the evening. I ordered room service, I danced around to music, I ran out onto the terrace in my pajamas to check out the view a few times even though it was pretty cold out there and I read my kindle and read some more. It was great and I felt great. I felt as though I was rediscovering the child within me.

In the morning, I woke up fresh after a good night's sleep in a king size bed that didn't have a hundred cats scattered over it or my husband snoozing next to me. I did some yoga, indulged in the amazing hotel buffet breakfast and then went back to the spa for a Reflexology Massage and a Facial. I then had a shower back in my room and got ready in my own time before meeting my family in the hotel reception.

Reflecting on my night away; I feel far more relaxed, I feel happier, I'm in a better mood around my loved ones and I can actually look in the mirror and like the person staring back at me. I look like I am glowing instead of falling apart. And I certainly feel like I love myself far more than before I left. But, in addition, I have also realised that this is only the beginning. I had thought that one night away would solve everything, however whilst my body and my muscles don't ache as much, they do still ache and whilst I feel relaxed, I could still feel much more relaxed. I need to go much deeper than this to find my zen.

Now, I realise that my trip was rather extravagant and not everyone will have circumstances than will allow them for such a big spend, but there are still plenty of things you can do to allow yourself time for yourself. It may be sending your family out and having a pamper session at home followed by a few circuits around the house twirling to your favorite rock band. Or you could arrange to stay with a friend or relative, a change is as good as a rest. Or even better, house sit for someone! Have them pay you to relax in their house! 

Or maybe you don't have to get away from anyone, maybe loneliness is what you need a break from. In which case, joining a group or workshop might give you the buzz that you desire to make yourself feel good. The solution for you really depends on your own personal situation and needs. Get creative and give yourself a break!

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure that you do, do something for yourself. We all deserve to feel at peace and we all deserve to be rewarded and feel loved. It has to start within ourselves. 

I would love to her about your experiences. Please feel free to comment or contact me on admin@deepyvocal.com