The Art of Extreme Self-Care

Many of us probably agree with the adage that before you take care of others, you must take care of yourself. But why do so many of us endanger our health to work overtime at our jobs, or choose to silently seethe in anger instead of confronting the people who hurt us? If you are like most people, chances are you are postponing your own needs to meet the needs of others, whether they be your friends, your family or your boss. How can we overcome this chronic tendency to put other people's needs before our own? I recently spoke with author and Intent Voice Cheryl Richardson, who is probably the best person to go to for the answer to this question. Cheryl's latest book, The Art of Extreme Self-Care, contains 12 month-long sessions where you can start developing your own self-care muscles one month at a time. Each month-long session focuses on a new habit to develop, and some of the topics covered in these empowering sessions may resonate a chord with you—such as the art of saying "no" to invitations and requests, or learning to embrace your own sensitive nature instead of trying to shut it down. In our conversation, Cheryl speaks about how her husband's recent illness forced her again to put her lessons of extreme self-care into practice. She also speaks about growing up as an overly sensitive child, and the various life coaches throughout her life who have helped her find her own unique voice as an individual whose happiness is just as important as those around her. One trait that I admire about Cheryl is her quickness to admit that she is never above asking for the advice of others—and this is coming from the New York Times best-selling author of several successful self-help books. After all, self-care is not only about empowering yourself to be emotionally, physically and spiritually strong—it is also having the strength to seek support when you really need it. I encourage all of you on Intent to begin your own journey of extreme self-care today. Listen to Mallika's conversation with Cheryl RichardsonThe Art of Extreme Self-Care is available for purchase online