Filling the Well: Giving to Yourself

If you're reading this post, you're probably a giver, someone who your friends and family can depend on, someone who always puts yourself before others. Caring for others is a wonderful quality, but don't forget to give to yourself, as well as to others.   You have to fill your well with water before you can offer another person a drink.

Before you say "yes" to giving today, check in and see if you are making time to do these things for yourself:

1. Getting enough sleep. The TIME magazine article, How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? says that people who sleep between 6.5-7.5 hours a night live the longest. Check out Kimberly Wilson's 6 savvy sleeping tips on the Tranquility du Jour blog.

2. Eating three healthy meals . . . sitting down . . .at a table. Looking for recipe inspiration? You can search for recipes using some of your favorite ingredients on Food Blog Search.

3. Drinking plenty of water. Check out Lisa Sonora Beam's tips for How to Drink More Water on The Creative Entrepreneur blog to add a few more glasses to your day.

4. Exercising regularly . . .even if it is just a 15-20 minute walk, or a few yoga stretches in your living room. 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit on Zen Habits can help you get started.

5. Spending time with friends.  According to The New York Times article, What are Friends For? A Longer Life, having friends is not only fun, it is good for our health.

6. Reflecting.  Set aside a little time each day for reflection whether it's by writing in your journal, meditating, or sipping a cup of tea and looking out the window.  Zen Habits also has a good post about meditation: Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind.

7. Making time to have fun.  Livestrong.com has a whole page on their site about Having Fun, including steps to increase the fun in your life.

OK, now go forth and volunteer!!