What are your healthy lifestyle habits?

[Gráinne]

I too have been following this thread, and getting good ideas. I never thought of self-care as a sacred ritual; it's always after work/cleaning/kids/everything and everyone else that my time comes.

I feel at the core of self-care has to be a conviction that we deserve it, need it, and that it's very UNselfish of us to put our own needs first. That's tough to do!

I (as of Monday) dusted off my Weight Watchers subscription and began tracking and following the health guidelines. This time, my attitude isn't that I'm "on a diet", which presumes that one day I'll be off of it. I like how I feel when I'm following it, and making it a way of life. Not everyone is fluffy like me, but there are good tips just for maintaining (and I like the smiley faces when I fulfill a guideline ).

I was also thinking that I need to bring back my morning ritual of swimming laps at the gym until my arms fall off, then sitting in the hot tub. While I swam, I imagined my problems falling like bricks to the bottom of the pool, making me lighter. By the time I'd finished, maybe I hadn't solved all of them, but neither did they burden me.

I've always been more able to meditate and clear my mind if I'm doing heavy physical exercise.