Here’s to the Bridge-builders, the Hand-holders, the Light-bringers

I read this quotation on Facebook this morning: (I am so grateful that I have Facebook friends who post such insight-giving words)

“Here’s to the bridge-builders, the hand-holders, the light-bringers, those extraordinary souls wrapped in ordinary lives who quietly weave threads of humanity into an inhumane world. They are the unsung heroes in a world at war with itself. They are the whisperers of hope that peace is possible. Look for them in this present darkness. Light your candle with their flame. And then go. Build bridges. Hold hands. Bring light to a dark and desperate world. Be the hero you are looking for. Peace is possible. It begins with us.” L.R. Knots

Some days I am the bridge-builder, the hand-holder, the light-bringer. Other days, not so much. At the moment, not at all.

My Christmas/New Year retreats have just ended, and my batteries are all at rock-bottom, completely flat. Hosting these retreats is hugely rewarding. As always, I enjoyed the experience tremendously, and my brain is buzzing with ideas, but the rest of me feels like a deflated balloon.
Time for a bit of self-care, starting with several nights of 8 hours’ sleep. How many? As many as it takes.

Self-care is vital if you want to effectively manage stress and build resilience. Some of life’s stressors you just can’t handle if you are running on empty and haven’t taken the necessary steps to care for your mind, body and spirit in the period before you have to face the stressor.

Unfortunately, many people view self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority. Consequently, they feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and ill-equipped to handle life’s inevitable challenges. Putting self-care on the back burner is a big part of why we can all feel run-down, overworked, and burned-out. Self-care is about looking after our mental, physical and spiritual health by developing skills that increase our self-esteem, facilitate communication and improve our ability to handle stress.

Life can be hard, at times. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it. You will be much more likely to be able to handle the next challenge if you take time out now, and daily from now on, to recharge your batteries and to master the skills you need to become more resilient. People who practice self-care daily, have much more energy left to enjoy life.

How resilient are you, right now?

What can you do TODAY to start taking better care of yourself?

If you are totally overwhelmed and desperately need to get away from it all for a few days, to a breathtakingly beautiful place where you can reconnect with nature and devote each day to caring for yourself properly, you are welcome to join us here in the south of France for a restorative, invigorating and profoundly restful retreat, hosted by an experienced medical doctor with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress.

Or if you want to get to know me better first, sign up to my mailing list to receive my 10 Steps to Instant Self-Confidence and Stress Relief Guide and Coping with Change CheckList and Cheat Sheet or join my We live Passionate, Meaningful and Fulfilling Lives community.