Jewel Diamond Taylor s an authentic, highly acclaimed, witty, knowledgeable, in-demand, and international conference speaker, life coach, author, founder of Women on the Grow, Inc. 501c3 …

Self-Care Pearls of Wisdom from

Jewel Diamond Taylor

1. Remember “No” is a complete sentence. Teach others how to respect your personal boundaries.  Guard your heart and peace of mind.  If your next decision or a request of your time, body, money, skills, or trust will take away from your peace mind…the cost is too expensive.

2. Taking care of yourself is not selfish or a luxury, it is necessary for your emotional and mental health.  Honor your emotions and don’t deny or suppress them.  Take a deep breath and assess your body, environment, and emotional triggers.  Sometimes I just simply sit in my car for an hour in a safe parking lot or even my driveway to exhale, have a good cry, get my praise on, listen to music, pray, get still, decompress, or listen to an audio book or watch a video.  I even listen to my own inspirational CDs! 

Give yourself permission to push the “pause” button.   If necessary, don’t answer every phone call, delegate duties, take a nap, stop talking, or go on a fast.   If you keep giving away pieces of yourself … there will soon be nothing left of you.  You always make sure your mobile phone is charged … do the same for your mind, body, and spirit.  Recharge your soul.

Self-care is critical for those who are caregivers for family members with special needs or aging parents.  The isolation and stress can affect your health.  Seek help and carve out some time to exhale and take care of your health before you crash with exhaustion, resentment, faith fatigue, or illness.

3. You cannot help others from an empty cup. Take care of yourself with good rest, boundaries, hobbies, water, nutritious food, some form of regular body movement (e.g. walking, stretching, gym, water aerobics) and remember to take a MeCation, StayCation, Vacation or retreat.

4. Strengthen your self-esteem and guard your heart, time, goals, money, lifestyle, and peace of mind.  No more people pleasing.  Be alert to manipulators, toxic, selfish, abusive, needy people, and boundary bullies.

5. If you are always the go-to person and the giver, learn how to receive. Delegate and learn how to ask for what you want or need.  Yes, I know how being a parent or always the one who helps friends and family in a crisis can become your identity and your norm.  Be careful of those who take advantage because you are the “rescuer” or their personal ATM.  Let go and teach others how to develop their own coping skills, responsibility, and faith in God. 

6. Gain coping skills, resiliency, faith, and self-determination to recover from setbacks, loss/grief, abuse, divorce, the empty next, surgery, loneliness, or illness.  Losing both my parents, in-laws, friends, and my 38 year old son to cancer taught me that grief has no clock.  It’s important for your emotional health to give yourself the gift of good friends, time and space to heal, and coping skills so you are equipped and not whipped by those overwhelming feelings of grief and depression.  

7. Improve your inner-self talk. Think, speak, and act as an overcomer and not a victim. “God is within her and she will not fail.” Psalm 46:5

For one-on-one coaching/counseling with Jewel Diamond Taylor aka The Self-esteem Dr. and the EmpowHERment Coach, call 323.964.1736, or email – JewelMotivates@gmail.com