A lot of us have a feeling that self-care is selfish. Today we are shaking things up, disrupting the narrative, and turning it upside down on its head.  

Today we declare:  Self-care is not selfish! Self-care is important and necessary!

At Show Your Spark, we know how easy it is, as women, to sideline our self-worth without realizing it. We believe every woman is valuable and powerful and deserves to live an empowered and celebrated life. 

What does that look like on a daily basis? We believe it starts with a daily self-care practice that affirms our value and power while empowering us to celebrate and live the lives we truly desire.

We recently chatted with Nancy Sawyer, a Jay Shetty Certified Coach who helps people master midlife, to discuss the concept of self-care and why it is imperative for our well-being.  We think you will be encouraged and inspired by this conversation to develop personalized self-care practices that fit your own life. Enjoy!

Tell Us a Little Bit About Your Journey and Your Work.

“I am a Jay Shetty certified coach who focuses on helping people to master midlife. Before being a coach, I was an entrepreneur for over twenty-five years. I realized I wasn’t happy in my work and wanted work that could help people. That’s when I learned about coaching.  I became certified and now I get to help people create their futures.  

In the process, I’ve discovered I have a gift for facilitating safe group environments for those looking to create a life they want to live by developing personalized consistent self-care practices.”

What is Self-Care?

“I’m on a mission to redefine self-care. Traditionally, luxury experiences, like manicures, massages, and shopping, are pushed as self-care. I disagree.

Self-care is taking the time for you so that you can show up for all the roles of your life as a great version of yourself. It’s taking stock of what you need and then providing yourself with that resource so that you can thrive.”

Why Is Self-Care So Important?

“Take a minute and think about all the roles you play in your life. You might be a mom, a partner, a co-worker, or a business owner. Maybe you volunteer somewhere at a local organization or in the school. In each of these aspects of our lives, we want to show up as the best version of ourselves. If we don’t care for ourselves we can’t do that! We will show up exhausted, tired, and impatient, especially toward those we love the most.”

What Can Self-Care Look Like?

“It’s different for all of us. For you, it may be some sort of exercise. I find self-care through running, meditation, and sitting quietly. 

I’m a professional pauser. What that means is that I take many pauses throughout the day. I take deep breaths to center myself and to make sure I’m in a good headspace before I go into any interaction with others. This practice helps me approach everything as a great version of me with loving kindness and a good mindset.”

What Does This Look Like on a Practical Level?

“Think about how you can show yourself self-care throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be an hour at the gym. Self-care can just be getting yourself a cup of coffee, or having a nice cup of tea with honey in the afternoon. It can be taking five minutes for yourself to sit quietly and breathe and center and get in touch with yourself. Self-care might be a quick 15-minute walk outside at lunchtime or just in the middle of your day, especially if you’re sitting in front of a computer working for long periods of time. That gets really old, right? It’s good to get up, to move your body, to get a different perspective for a few minutes.”

How Do I Begin to Incorporate Self-Care Into My Life?

“It starts with subscribing to the belief that you matter enough to have a few minutes to yourself. If you don’t yet believe that you matter, how’s this, since not everyone in our audience is a mother.  Think about who is around you.  It is a gift to them to model good self-care.  Perhaps they will pick up the habit as well!

I recommend starting by taking five minutes a day to sit in silence, hear your own thoughts, perhaps journal some thoughts, or drink your cup of coffee outside (or at least away from the screens). Who knows what might show up in those five minutes! Using those five minutes to simply “be” can set you up for a day of intention, bring you undiscovered insights, or inform you on how you need to show up for yourself and others that day.  

I often say to people, “If you don’t have a day, take an hour. If you don’t have an hour, take five minutes. Can you get up five minutes earlier in the morning and sit quietly and write down a couple of thoughts or do a little journaling? When starting any habit, start small so it is sustainable. By giving yourself a five-minute window of self-care, you are committing to yourself, setting boundaries in your life, and making yourself a priority.”  

Do You Have Any Final Words of Encouragement on This Topic of Self-Care?

“You matter! We need you. We need your light in this world. You have to take care of yourself because no one else is going to do it. You have to step up and take responsibility for that. When you do, you’ll be able to shine your light so much brighter.”

An Invitation to Self-Care

We invite you to think about how you’re caring for yourself and how you’re integrating self-care into your day. 

If you are ready to take your self-care practices to the photography space, contact us to learn more about our Spark Sessions.  

Many thanks to Nancy for her time and encouraging words. If you would like to work with Nancy, she will be offering a Permission to Pause Workshop at Show Your Spark on Sunday, May 21st from 10 AM – 12 noon. Click here to register for this special event.

Permission to Pause is an experience that incorporates gentle movement, breathing, meditation, reflection, journaling, and discussion. It’s a time to step off the hamster wheel and into a relaxing, warm atmosphere, which will help you to recenter and connect with other women in a safe environment. Nancy is a facilitator, and certified coach who has developed these workshops which teach a powerful tool that you can use to incorporate intentional pauses into your day and your life. You’ll leave feeling calm, rejuvenated, hopeful, and with the ability to create peace in your busy day and to harness your power to create the experience of life that you want.