Self Care & Wellness

                                                    Never Give up!

 One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and begin to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down.


A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping. And by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!





   “Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good   

    mental health.” 

                    -Lauren Fogel Mersy




Practice how to H*A*L*T

Self-care is so important but often overlooked. Often, people making a commitment for self-change make the mistake of making a large life change, or take on several small changes at once, only to meet with frustration.

Below is an easy-to-remember place to start your self-care journey. For the next week, keep in the front of your mind that it is time for you to H.A.L.T.

H.A.L.T. is an acronym that represents the basic human needs that we often overlook causing undue stress, frustration and anxiety.

H – Hungry – It is essential that we not only stay fed but begin looking at our food intake as the fuel we are putting into our bodies. Add fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of water to your diet. Eat when you are hungry to avoid becoming Hangry.

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A – Angry – Anger is an emotion. It’s natural and we all deal with it from time to time. Although it is natural to become angry, it is a choice to hold on to that anger, let it fester, become your mood for the day and end with an explosion on a loved one. Recognizing our triggers as well as positive coping strategies that we can call on when recognizing that we are becoming angry is step one.

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L- Lonely- When feelings of loneliness set in, reach out, connect with a friend, coworker or strike up a conversation and make a new friend. By connecting with another, you not only counter loneliness but you may have an opportunity to vent, let out what is bothering you, let it go and move on. See above.

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T – Tired - Getting the proper amount of sleep is of utmost importance. Aim for 8 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night. People often say they can “go” on 5 hours per night, but in reality, they have become accustomed to living on an insufficient amount of sleep and do not truly know how much better they would feel if they gave themselves an opportunity to sleep a full 8 to 9 hours per night for a week or two.

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For the following week, I challenge you to make these minor adjustments in your daily routine: 

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Check back in a week to see just how much more confident and in control you may feel.