Self-care: Navigating through life's challenges

In the busy hustle and bustle of life, it's so hard to take care of "self". We give to our husbands, kids, jobs, and to everything but ourselves. Life can be really challenging and managing it can prove difficult. Whether it's going through divorce, the death of a loved one, change in career, or the everyday life obstacles, it's important that we learn to take care of ourselves. I've heard it said...You can't pour from an empty cup.

Here are some tips to help you find some balance in your life, recharge, and effectively deal with challenging situations.

Surround yourself with good support. Isolating yourself from others can cause feelings of depression. Have a solid support system of people who encourage and uplift you.

Feel your emotions. It's ok to feel sad, angry, or disappointed. Just don't unpack and live there. Express your feelings in a healthy way.

Do something for yourself. Do you have a hobby? Engage in something that you enjoy on a regular basis.

Form a plan and commit to yourself. If you've gotten of course, it's time to get back on track. Seek out an accountability partner to help you stay focused.

Guard your peace. If there is something in your life that is causing dysfunction and disruption in your life, it may be time to let it go.

Seek help from a professional. Sometimes the challenges of life become too much to handle. Seeing help from a counseling professional will help you to learn some tools and strategies for learning to cope in a healthy way.