If you’re here looking for self-care ideas for women, it’s because you’ve done the first step of self-care - saying “yes” to self-care. That’s huge!

Please don’t let this go unnoticed or uncelebrated because it's often just too easy to make excuses, forget to do it, or fall victim to our blindspots keeping us from self care.

But now what?

How do you spend that precious time you’ve carved out just for you? It can be a little intimidating, right? 

But let me be that little birdie in your ear reminding you, “Any act of self-care is enough.” Ladies, don’t let yourself stress out over self-care! Let’s make it easy and restorative. Really, that’s the whole point. 

I made this list of self care ideas specifically with busy, badass women in mind. (Hey, Mamas!) 

There’s no wrong way to use this list, but here are a few ideas:

• Pick a few for your self-care Sunday lineup.
• Print it out...

Summer is the best time to feel like yourself. It’s a perfect time to savor every day.

Summertime has the potential to help you:

1. Rejuvenate and reset
2. Embrace joy and laughter
3. Unleash creativity
4. Prioritize ultimate self-care

When we're having fun, we put aside the worries, the goals, the stress, the have to’s. We can look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. 

Let's start with what you want 

Sometimes, we're so busy, that we don't even know what we want and we don't take the time to figure it out.  

Ask yourself these questions:

What would make this an unforgettable summer? 

What if it was the first summer I got to ________

If I had all the free time I wanted this summer, I'd ________

The best summer I ever had was _________.

These questions can give you clues to what you're longing for and what makes you happy. 

Sit down right now and write it out. Get out your journal and dream. 

I give you full permission to dream...

When I first heard about self-love, I couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed like a punchline in a joke. After all, aren't we taught to prioritize others above ourselves from a young age?
Be selfless, not selfish... that's the narrative I grew up with, especially as a woman.

Reflecting on my upbringing, I realized that the women in my life, though remarkable in so many ways, rarely exemplified self-love. They epitomized giving, always putting others' needs before their own. And so, naturally, I followed suit.

We know that self-care goes right along with self-love. But why is it so hard? 

Years ago when my first coach asked me what I do for self-care, I stumbled to think of some words to say to her and silently thought, "What the hell is she talking about?"

I thought a lot about that question, feeling perplexed and a bit resistant.

Breaking free from the ingrained belief that self-love equated to selfishness wasn't easy.

But then came the epiphany…by nurturing myself,...

The season of giving can be riddled with challenges, inducing guilt and stress. What should be a joyous act of giving and generosity can quickly become a daunting task, a persistent concern about selecting the "perfect gift" for someone.

Let's get real for a second: overconsumption is no joke. Most of us are drowning in stuff already, and the last thing we need is more clutter. We're also well aware that our binge-buying habits do no favors for Mother Earth. We're on a mission it seems to pack landfills to the brim with even more junk. 

And, the prices of everything have risen so who wants to go into debt by overspending?

Yet, amid these challenges, the expectation to exchange gifts persists. It's not a matter of reluctance; it's a question of redefining HOW we approach it.

What if gift-giving could be simple, easy, meaningful, and green?

What if we lived in a world where decisions about gift-giving were effortless, gifts were beautifully wrapped, and every gesture bore...

As women, we face constant scrutiny and comparison, leading us to doubt our self-worth and overlook the extraordinary beauty that resides within us...especially as we age.  But today, we're embarking on a journey to change that narrative and discover the power of self-love. 

Join me as we delve into ten transformative self-love practices that will help you embrace your body, celebrate your individuality, and ignite radiant confidence from within.

Breaking free of cultural expectations

It's time to break free from the chains of societal expectations and unlock the beauty that has always been yours to claim. Are you ready to embark on this liberating path of self-discovery? Let's dive in together and unleash the true essence of your being.

To foster body positivity and embrace our inherent beauty, here are ten self-love practices that can help us appreciate and accept ourselves just the way we are:

10 Self Love Practices you can use right now

1. Start Your Day with Positivity:...

It wasn't the clean air or the clear starry sky nights that were the most nourishing. It wasn't the fact that I got to spend 5 days camping with my best friend or that I hiked on smooth flat rock with gorgeous views that made me feel alive. 

All of those things made my heart sparkle and glow. 

But what surprised me the most was the quiet. The stillness. 

It was startling in a way to be in complete soundlessness. I had forgotten about being out in the middle of nowhere how quiet life can be. 

I realized that living in a city or town, the sounds from the freeway are running in the background, even though for me, my house is nowhere near the freeway. 

It was the stillness and deep quiet without the background noise that soothed me the most. 

Canyonlands with Dear Friends

We started in Canyonlands, Utah, with 5 other couples. Now a delightful annual affair, we hiked, ate together, talked and laughed, did yoga up on a...

May is Mental Health Month and we all know it's crucial to prioritize our mental well-being, especially as we age. Yet setting boundaries and saying no are things that we may not think of as essential parts of self-care and it can be challenging to know where to start. 

In this post, I’ve created a fictitious woman who like so many of us knew instinctively that she needed some practical self-care ideas to help her prioritize her mental health. 

I’ve named her Effie who has the same name as my beloved maternal grandmother who never stopped giving to others. A woman whose way of living took a huge toll on her as she ended up with cancer. 

Grab a cup of tea, take a deep breath, and let's get started.

The story of Effie 

Once upon a time, Effie realized she needed to take better care of her mental health. She knew that setting boundaries and saying no were important pieces of taking care of herself but she wasn't sure where to start.

She heard about...

“And I said to my body softly, ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this."             Nayyirah Waheed

As women, we’re taught from a young age to be dissatisfied with our bodies. We’re expected to fit into an ideal of beauty that is impossible to achieve and have so much pressure placed upon us in today’s society because of it. 

This constant battle can leave us feeling emotionally drained and exhausted…as I know all too well. But instead of continuing this vicious cycle, it's time to put down the weapons, stop fighting, and start listening to what your body has been trying to tell you all along.  

My story is not that different than many of you reading this.

I think about the times I’ve been so hard on my body and how I’ve fought to stay thin because, I too, bought into the cultural expectation that thin is...

The new year is a time of new beginnings when the slate is clean and we get to start over. It's the time when people are making goals, going on fitness programs, and deciding to start the year in a blaze of activity. 

Yes and...

It may not be that way for all of us. 

Some of us are in slow mode.

If you're like me, you don't want to do anything except take a nap, lie down, be quiet, and read a book. Raise your hand if you feel like this. 

It’s stormy and rainy in northern California right now and all I want to do is go slow and not think about what I "need" to do. 

Normally I have loads of energy and I'm ready to start the new year full-on with goals for what I want to achieve and do. I've usually figured out my word for the year to remind me to stay on track.

This year, not so much. I'm not motivated. At all. 

I decided to ask my future self (something I do every morning) about why I feel so slow and she said, "well, think about it, Jo."

The...

Recently I talked to my 8-year-old granddaughter, Ella, and told her that I had a dream that she would lead a retreat with me one day when she's older. 

I explained to her what a retreat was and she said, “I'd love to do that.”

And then I said, "what part would you lead?"

She said “I dunno.” 

And I said, “well, maybe you could remind women how to play.”

She looked at me in disbelief and said “what”? 

I told her that sometimes adults forget how to play. 

She looked at me as if I was from another planet. 

In her little mind, not knowing how to play was incomprehensible. 

 That day, I realized that I, too, had forgotten how to play.

It began raining that same afternoon. Both Ella and her sister Katie ran out fully dressed and they did what kids do…relished in playing in the rain, laughing, yelling, and having the time of their lives. 

Tapping into my younger self

For once, I...