Are you ready to change your life for the better?

If so, read on.

Life is anything but easy.

As we move through life, each new day presents us with a whole new set of challenges.

Maybe we struggle with getting our children (or ourselves) out of bed.

Some may struggle with work challenges.

Others may have chronic health challenges.

And some may just be simply worn out because of life’s demands.

I’m sure many of you can relate.

But what if I told you that there is one simple thing that you can do to make the hard things just a little bit easier?

And that doing this one thing regularly would change your life for the better.

Would you do it?

I’m not talking about a magic pill or hiring a personal assistant.

But it will take some effort on your part.

Do you want to know what will change your life?

It’s one single hyphenated word—Self-Care.

I am here to tell you that if you practiced self-care on a regular basis, it really would change your life.

Self-care is important for each and every one of us.

We would have less stress and anxiety. We would have fewer health problems. And we would live a more fulfilling life.

The meaning of self-care is simple. It means to care for oneself.

This means attending to both our physical and our mental well-being.

Self-care is making sure that we are living a balanced and healthy life.

Self-care is not selfish.

When I made the decision to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, my kids were still pretty young.

Most of the people I told were excited and supportive of it, even though I would be gone from my family for ten days.

But there was one response that I will never forget. The person just looked at me and said, “Don’t you think that’s selfish?”

My response was instant, “Self-care is never selfish.”

We need to remind ourselves that we need to take time for ourselves.

Because when we do, we show up differently.

We feel empowered.

And we feel ready to start the next challenge.

Self-care really does change your life because it changes how you see yourself and how you see the world.

We need to see self-care differently.

When my kids were younger, I always felt like I was a better mother after I took some time out for myself.

Sadly, not a lot of people see it that way.

We go through our lives feeling like we have to be everything for everyone else.

And we do all the things for other people first before we actually take care of ourselves.

But we have it all backward.

We need to take time for ourselves so that we can show up better and stronger for the other people in our lives.

We need to take the time to rejuvenate and really focus on what we want.

To do this, we have to step away from all of the things that we absolutely have to do. And gain clarity regarding what we actually want to be doing.

Then, we can come back recharged and ready to put our minds and energy into what we’re working on.

Change your life by learning to take time for yourself.

Do something that you really love to do.

It doesn’t have to be going somewhere crazy, but it can be.

For example, I’m in London right now.

I took five days away, and I feel completely recharged.

But you don’t have to go across the pond to make self-care a priority.

Find something each day that will allow you to step away from the world and take time for yourself.

It doesn’t have to be hard—just a few minutes a day is all it will take.

You could practice mirror moments with positive affirmations in the morning.

Or you could use a meditation app on your phone in the afternoon.

Maybe you enjoy just sitting still on the couch and sipping a glass of wine in the evening.

You could even go for a walk, take a swim, or read your favorite book.

Whatever it is that brings you joy—that’s what you need to do.

What do you want?

Self-care is simply you taking care of you.

So, ask what it is that you want, and then go and do it.

But it’s got to be what you want, not what someone else wants for you.

Because you know you the very best.

And while it’s true that life is hard for all of us, there are ways to make it easier.

It begins by learning to take care of yourself.

When you learn to take care of yourself, it makes taking care of others so much easier.

So, my challenge to you is to figure out what it is that brings you joy—and then go and do it.

You will find it releases stress and anxiety and just makes you happy.

Take that time for yourself.

I promise you that you will feel so much better.

And you will also discover that life will be much easier to manage.