Why is Self-care for Fundraisers so Important?

Because Man!

It’s so important to take care of yourself because then you can take care of others!

If you use yourself up, you have nothing left when you get home.

And you will burn out of your job, FAST.

So here’s a book that has helped me immeasurably over the last month.

A coaching client of mine told me about it. She is having a health challenge and is finding this book to be so helpful on her own healing journey. The book is called Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life by Dr Claudia Welch.

What’s it about?

Well, as my cousin Joy said, it’s about everything! It has advice from Western medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine. No matter what age you are, you can benefit from this book. It has sections on menstruation, fertility, menopause, heart health, cancer, lung health, and even just feeling crummy.

But it’s not long.

I like how Claudia Welch talks about hormones using metaphors like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It makes it much easier to remember what the hormones are all about.

The two biggest things I have taken from this book (which is worth reading, over and over) are

1. Meditate every morning when you wake up, and wake up earlier for that purpose. Even 5 minutes is better than nothing. But I am doing 20-30 minutes now, and WOW. It makes such a difference.

2. Rub oil on yourself and do self massage after meditation. I use unrefined coconut oil. The author, Dr. Claudia Welch, recommends either mixing sunflower and sesame oil together, or finding your Ayurvedic type at http://www.banyanbotanicals.com and ordering oil from there.

That’s it.

If you want to go for Olympic standard self care, continue reading.

3. Work out, either through doing yoga, biking, walking, for 20-30 minutes.

4. Take a shower, and rub yourself with castor oil. It’s really good for you.

5. Eat at the same time every day. And eat a big meal with protein in the morning.

6. Go to sleep early. If you didn’t have time to do self-massage in the morning, do self-massage then. And keep your bedroom just for sleeping and making love. No computers in the bedroom!

It took me a long time to learn that last one but I think I’ve got it now. And I’m so happy and grateful!

If you want to do better at work, do better at home, and just feel more relaxed and happy all the time, I’d HIGHLY encourage you to check out this book. It’s good for anyone, but I think especially those of us who work in or with nonprofits. It’s so easy to get caught up in the drama of everything that needs to get done, and this book will help you stop and breathe.