The Experts Weigh In: Get Cozy with Yourself!

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BY: MEAGHAN FOLK, CONTRIBUTOR

I was just reading a great article called "Count your blessings, instead of calories". One line in particular really hit home for me - "Buy an inspiring journal and get cozy with yourself".

Get cozy with yourself.

How many of you have a hard time just sitting and being with yourself? I know I do! Getting cozy is scary because you never know what you are going to find, and it's much easier to find a distraction....

"Bella's sheets need to be cleaned," I tell myself. 

Or... "I should call mom... we haven't talked in awhile." 

Or my favorite... "Maybe I should catch up on America's Next Top Model!"

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But when I start making excuses, I end up putting myself on a guilt trip much larger than the one my mother puts me through for not calling. Do you want a glimpse into my mind when Victoria (my inner mean girl) comes out? Just warning you - I am a Virgo and this entitles me to bursts of mental craziness and hypochondria. 

"Meaghan, you're being a bad coach because you're not taking care of YOU!"

"But how do I take care of me while supporting all of these other women?"

"If you don't take care of yourself first, how are you any good to these women? And how can you share this message if you are too busy watching America's Next Top Model instead of getting cozy with yourself?"

My inner wisdom always sets me straight. The reality is, when I put my needs on the back burner in the name of helping others, I am actually doing them a disservice. Why? Because they are not receiving all of me. They are getting a fragmented, depleted version of a couch, spouse, friend, mother, lover, sister and daughter, and this isn't fair to anyone.

In her book Mind over Medicine, Dr. Lissa Rankin says "Some studies go as far to suggest that the doctor is, in fact, the placebo, that the role the physician plays, in and of itself, triggers the self-healing response."

Whoa. Did you just read that?

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If the doctor (or in my case, coach) is depleted and overworked, they cannot be effective at what they do. Do you think YOU are a very effective human being if you are depleted and overworked? Think about all that you want to accomplish in this life. What is your calling? What is your passion? What inspires you to wake up each morning?

Are you living to your fullest potential?

You don't necessarily have to work harder to achieve your dreams, you just have to work more conscientiously. Work with your needs, not around them. Make YOUR body, YOUR nourishment and YOUR happiness a priority. Only when you do this will you ever be fulfilled. Put things in perspective - no matter what you think you are lacking, you still have a roof over your head, food in your belly and people who love and support you. You are more blessed than many people in this world. Look around and give thanks for all that you have! Then when you find yourself in a position of being depleted and putting everyone else's needs before your own, ask yourself, "Am I being the best me? Am I serving others to my fullest potential because I am nourished myself?"

If you answered "no", then do what I do. Turn down the volume of your inner mean girl and take one baby step in the direction you desire. Movement is important. Life isn't a race and the only finish line that I know of is death.

So enjoy the ride a little more and take care of yourself. Quiet that inner mean girl!

Meaghan Folk is a born-and-raised New Yorker turned small town mountain woman. She currently resides in North Lake Tahoe with her wonderful man Christian and her beautiful daughter Izabella. Meaghan is a holistic health and lifestyle coach who helps mothers become rock star moms who feel irresistibly radiant. She works with busy professional mothers to create more peace and rhythm in their daily lives, as well as rev up their personal love lives. Visit her at meaghanfolk.com and Irresistibleproject.com OR try an exploratory session with her by clicking HERE!