2020 is not only a new year, a leap year, the beginning of a new decade but it is also the very first Sunrise Artisan Blog! 2020 is also symbolic of perfect vision...ummm interesting. Well with that being said this is a wonderful time to start this year and decade with the value of knowing that  "Self-care is self-love!" which happens to be our theme for 2020! Yeah yeah I know we have all been taught for the most part that taking care of one's self first is not only selfish but pretty egotistical too but I want to share with you why that thinking is absolutely bonkers!

When I was growing up the last person you were suppose to consider was yourself. We were taught first there was GOD then family, then spouse, then children, then friends, then house, the postman, the dog, well you get what I am saying. If you were lucky you fell somewhere between the postman and the dog. Heck I know people that never even considered themselves to be on the list at all. Well I am proud to say unabashedly that I have put away such thinking when it comes to my well being. I have removed my "make yourself tiny glasses" and now enjoy 2020 vision. 

Looking back I can totally see how doing for others can make us feel good, make us feel special, make us feel uh important because of course being in service to others is not only honorable but humane. However when we solely seek out how to be in service to others while neglecting our own wellness eventually you will hit that infamous proverbial brick wall displaying a sign that reads: Warning! You forgot to smell the roses and fill up your own tank. Continue on at your own risk!!!

The crazy thing is many of us will continue because it is our norm to operate on empty and work ourselves into oblivion. We just keep chugging along until we either have a mental breakdown like I did (thank GOD) or worse. I had to face some hard facts about my own issues with self care and and self love when I finally broke. I had to comes to terms with by constantly putting everyone else's needs and priorities before my own I had successfully squeezed myself out of my own existence. I had to come to terms with this was not some type of badge of honor but a form of self abuse disguised as being honorable. But how can playing yourself small be honorable? How can putting what you need consistently on the back burner be a badge of honor? Don't get me wrong, I get that there are sacrifices we all must make for others, such as children, spouses, elders, etc. but how can you be at your best if you are constantly putting yourself last. The answer is you cannot and in understanding that this is where self-care plays a vital role in our existence.

Self-care is the practice of taking care of your physical, mental and spiritual needs first. It is not a selfish act, but indeed a loving one. In the beginning because its foreign to you, it may require the help of professionals such as counselors, psychologists, and even psychiatrists to help assist you in cultivating a self-care program that works for you. It can also come in the form of self help books, seminars, positive videos, podcast and more. Ultimately what it is, is knowing that it's OK to put yourself first. It's OK to slow down and smell the roses or lavender or whatever works for you. It's OK to say NO and have boundaries to those people that only drain you in the end. It's OK to take a long warm bath and pamper yourself with one of our bath bombs or beautiful soaps. The world will still be crazy when you get out of the tub. Self-care is also a form of healing. Ever heard the phrase the sick cant heal the sick? Well think about it. If you are coughing, gagging and stuck in the bathroom how you gonna help heal me while I am coughing and gagging trying to get into the bathroom too? And finally self-care is the catalyst to unapologetic self-love and self-awareness which are also vital to your well being!

Below are a few things you can do to start your self-care/self-love discovery journey.

• Take a few moments each day to be alone. There is a big difference in being alone and feeling lonely. 
• Create a list of the things you are grateful for.
• Take a long warm bath or shower.
• Unplug one day a week from all social media, talk radio and news.
• Do some deep breathing once a day to release anxiety and stress.
• Eliminate sugar and incorporate more vegetables into your diet.
• Create a exercise program that you actually enjoy. For me its walking in nature. 
• Be OK with saying No.
• Dance and/or listen to good music.
• Once a month treat yourself to something amazing and fun!
• Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.
• And laugh, laugh, laugh and then laugh some more!

Oh and be sure to add Sunrise Artisan products to your collection of amazing things just for you :-) Really? You thought I would write an entire blog on the importance of self care and not give Sunrise a shameless plug? hahahahaha!

Peace and guidance on your journey!