Making time for a personal wellness practice amidst the stresses of daily life is essential to overall health and vitality. That is what this column is all about; our own self-care. Commitments require our loyalty; understood.

Families need our full attention; absolutely. Jobs and employers call for a quality work ethic; of course. But there is another obligation that many of us overlook simply because we are not in the habit of honoring it… and that is to our own wellbeing. 

Somewhere along the line we’ve learned that taking the time to nurture ourselves is selfish or greedy. But what we don’t realize is that when we deny ourselves the opportunity to replenish our minds, bodies, and spirits, we become depleted, and even our best efforts to serve others will fall short. The irony is that when we give back to ourselves, we actually become less self-involved. When we refill our mental and physical reserves through a daily wellness practice we have more energy to focus on what matters most: our families, friends, societal contributions, and purpose in life.

Inversely, when we become overtaxed from a lack of self-maintenance, we find ourselves running late for every appointment, being emotionally unavailable for loved ones, or never quite fulfilling our boss’s expectations. If we don’t regularly tend to our own self-care, life satisfaction will continue to elude us and stress becomes the currency with which we relate to the world. 

How does this stress show up in everyday life? We overeat. We can’t sleep. We argue with others. We get sick more often. We smoke. We drink. We overexercise. We easily become angry or impatient. Basically, we enjoy life less and deny ourselves the chance to breathe and reboot.

The simplest of self-care interventions begins with taking a few quiet moments for relaxation each day. Relaxation maintains countless clinical advantages: it supercharges the immune system, decreases stress and stressful thoughts, lowers blood pressure, improves the quality of sleep, eases muscle tension, and helps to relieve pain.

Relaxation puts countless possibilities within reach: less fatigue, more energy, fewer headaches, clearer thoughts. In short -better health!

The following practice can be done sitting in a chair at any time of day for a period of one to five minutes. But start by trying it at bedtime. Lay flat on your back or in any position that provides optimal comfort. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. With each inhale, feel the comfort of your bed. With each exhale, release the worries of the day. As your breathing returns to normal, become aware of each inhale and exhale. With every breath in think to yourself, "My whole body…,” and with each breath out think to yourself, "is relaxed.” Breathe in – "My whole body;” breathe out – "is relaxed.” "My whole body is relaxed.” Feel your muscles soften and your mind calm down as you repeat this to yourself over and over. Stick with it until you gently relax into sleep.

Sweet dreams.

Billy Rosa is a Registered Nurse, Integrative Nurse Coach