Y’all, I cannot believe I am telling you this, but I learned a valuable lesson over the past week. One that I should know better, but I completely ignored… and it cost me big time.

For the last 2 weeks, I have been dealing with a nasty cough and an upper respiratory infection kicked my tail. On top of that (and while I was dealing with this nasty sickness), I have been extremely busy. Business trips, launching my brand new Fit Soul 6 program, traveling with Randy. Yup, all right in the middle of this gross sickness I had.

Then to add insult to injury, I left my laptop on a plane. My new Apple MacBook Pro. As an online health coach, I run my business from my computer. And without my computer, well, it’s really hard to run your business!

So, guess what I had to do? I was forced to actually REST.

Having forced down-time reminded me of the importance of proper self-care. As a health coach, I teach this, of course, but like the shoe-maker without proper shoes, I had to learn a lesson the hard way.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience, and what I hope you will take away too…

1. You CAN’T SANDBAG self-care.

What do I mean by this? You have to practice self-care regularly – you can’t just wait until you have “more time.”

Maybe you’ve had these thoughts too…

“I will take a break when I’m on vacation.”
“When I finish this project, then I can rest.”
“When the kids are in different stage of life, I’ll finally have the rest I need.”

You know what I mean, run yourself ragged, until you are completely drained, exhausted and worn-out.

If you wait until the timing is right to rest, you’re never truly going to get the rest that you need! Carve time out in your day, even if it’s only 5 minutes, but find time for a little bit of self-care each and every day – yes, even during the busy seasons of life.

2. You simply can’t be your best self when you are worn out.

Our bodies are not created to be pushed to the levels we tend push them. They will fight back with exhaustion, sickness, grumpiness, moodiness, weight gain, and more. Our hormones get screwed up, then we hold on to the lovely belly fat (thank you cortisol).

If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or worn out, it’s probably a sign that you need to take a step back and take a break! You will probably surprise yourself with just how much better you feel – and how much more productive you are!

3. Stress management is one of the 6 pillars of health to be a Fit Soul.

So, here is your friendly reminder from your favorite (and hardheaded) health coach who is on the same journey as you…

Take time regularly to de-stress and practice self-care.

While on the airplane ride home, I picked out 10 free things you can do to reduce stress and increase your happiness.

I had been neglecting this simple but important part of my health – but I am recommitted to keeping these front and center from here on out! How about you?