The daily choice to prioritize caring for oneself can ultimately lead to an experience of self-love and wholeness.


~Dr. Kelly Brogan


HER SOUL S IN BLOOM


by Marlaina Donato T


o be female is to be blessed with an innate giſt for multitasking,


but in our fast-paced, jam- packed world, daily life for most women is a juggling act that can come with a steep price tag if self-care isn’t on the to-do list. Depression, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed are all too common. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in eight women experi- ence depression during their lifetime— twice the rate of men.


Self-care does not necessarily have to involve time; it’s a way of being.


~Christine Hassler life coach and author of


Expectation Hangover: Over- coming Disappointment in Work, Love, and Life.


T e San Diego-based


motivational speaker views self-care to be as vital as edu- cation. “Women are not taught


Seasons of a Woman’s Life Each decade poses unique challenges. For women in their 20s and early 30s, com- paring and fi nding one’s own path can be signifi cant. “T e feminist movement of our mothers’ generation opened doors, but so many 20- and 30-something women have interpreted that as, ‘I have to do everything and be everything,’” says Christine Hassler,


24 Greater Oklahoma/OKC Edition


in high school and college how to take care of themselves. Prioritizing self-care is so important. I see so many young women with adrenal or thyroid burnout and eating disorders. All of that comes down to stress, relationship to self and lack of self-care.” T e personal interests of women in


their 30s and 40s trying to balance mother- hood and career oſt en get lost in the tangled underbrush of daily logistics. T ere can be a deep longing for identity well into the 50s, especially when children leave the nest. Fears of aging and loneliness oſt en accom- pany women 60 and older. By passionately and joyously taking care of body and spirit, women of any generation can fi nd renewal.


NaturalAwakeningsOKC.com elf-Care for All Stages of Life


Self-Care As Bedrock Women play vital roles in family and community, much like the foundation of a sound building, and if self-care is not the bedrock, all that is supported by it is likely to be compromised. “I believe we’ve taken the bait, the promise that if we arrange our life circumstances just so, we’ll feel ease and happiness. We’re getting to a place as a collective where we see a bankruptcy in that,” says Miami-based holistic women’s psychiatrist Dr. Kelly Brogan, bestselling author of A Mind of Your Own: T e Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal T eir Bodies to Reclaim T eir Lives. Body-mind-spirit self-care is the


heart of Brogan’s approach, and self-love is the lifeblood. “Self-love is quite elusive for most of us, perhaps because our self- esteem is contingent [upon it], and we only feel good about ourselves under certain cir- cumstances. T e daily choice to prioritize caring for oneself can ultimately lead to an experience of self-love and wholeness,” says Brogan, who compares a ritualized system of daily self-care that comes fi rst to putting on the proverbial oxygen mask before at- tempting to meet the needs of others. “Balancing self-love and caring for


others starts with recognizing and accept- ing that it’s possible for you to eff ectively do both. Self-love at the soul level is the catalyst for healing on all levels, which in turn drives our level of self-worth,” concurs Teigan Draig, a spiritual life coach and busy home-schooling mom in Spencer- ville, Ohio. She reminds us that putting our needs above the wants of others is not being selfi sh, but is an emotional necessity that helps women get out of the loop of self-defeatism and self-sabotage. “T e fi rst step to fi nding your fi re is learning to love yourself, all of yourself. Self-care and self- love are a total wellness package.”


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