This year continues to challenge us in many ways. While many people continue to work from home, schools remain virtual and kids often spend their days glued to screens. Many have shelved dinners out with friends and long-awaited travel plans. Although in some ways our lives are simpler, new stressors have arisen. As we navigate these ever-changing challenges, remaining flexible is that much more important, as is the ability to create your own space of self-nurturing.

What can you do to nurture yourself? Have you heard the expression, “You can’t give from an empty cup.”? To be able to give to others without draining precious energy, to connect with a deeper purpose, we must begin from within.

Here are a few things you can do to fill your cup:

Enjoy a walk out in Nature. Notice the signs of Spring all around. Are the flowers blooming? Are the trees starting to bud with leaves? Do the birds sing their favorite tune as they gather twigs to build their nests? Nature is coming alive in the Spring season, bursting forth with growth and life! Leave your earphones at home. See if you can feel this connection to Nature within.

Take a warm bath with some nice music playing. A great way to warm the body, release stress, and feel rejuvenated is with a nice, warm bath. Our bodies are 70% water. Connecting with that part of us brings a feeling of calm and peace. Add in some nice, relaxing music while you soak for an incredible experience.

Put a green plant near your workspace or look out the window often. The eyes are the window to the soul. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the eyes are also the extension of our Liver. Experiencing eye strain from looking at our screens all day can create imbalance in our Liver function. One excellent way to support our liver is by putting a green plant in your workspace and take a break often to look away from the screen and focus on the green color of the plant. You can also look out a nearby window, and enjoy the green grass, trees and bushes—everything nature has to offer.

Cook a nice meal for yourself. Taking a home cooked meal to a friend is such a gift, but do you give that gift to yourself as well? We can benefit from offering that same kindness and nurturing to ourselves through healthy, healing foods. Choose seasonal foods that are fresh and vibrant in color. Enjoy the process of preparation, pouring love into each chop of the vegetable and turn of the spoon. Sit quietly and enjoy each bite, savoring the essence of this nurturing meal.

Invest in your daily Qigong practice. Qigong is one of the best and most effective ways to invest in yourself. With a daily Qigong practice, learn how to let go of stress and drop your mind, so you can connect to that support at the deepest level while opening the connection to intuitive wisdom within.

In nurturing your spirit and carving out time for yourself, you will be able to build meaningful and lasting connections with others. But first, we must discover, the answer lies within.

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