10 Ways to Treat Yourself Well

1.     Wear underwear that provides full coverage.  Really, ladies, all this tugging and yanking and getting stuck in cracks.  It doesn’t feel good and it’s not pretty to see women engaging in this behavior either.  Men don’t have this problem.  Neither should we.

2.     Take off your accoutrements (including binding underwear) when you get home.  Watches and earrings and necklaces are for show, but they get caught in blankets and snagged in your sweetie’s sweater when you’re hugging.  Go accessory-free when you get home: better yet, put on your pajamas and make sure you have multiple, cozy pairs of them.

3.     Have lots of quickies (of many varieties).  I call them The Ten Minute Miracles. I know what you’re thinking and those quickies are wonderful, of course.  But what about a quickie clean-up where you give yourself 10 minutes to clean out all the ridiculous clothes you’ve been accumulating over the last several years, or 10 minutes of reading about the current economic crisis so you can impress your colleagues or 10 minutes of nookie so you can re-impress your partner?  10 minutes of conversation with your teenager?  Nearly impossible, but what a goal!

4.     Sorry to get on my soapbox about this one, but eat fewer animal products: you don’t need them.  Really.  All the current medical research says so.  Try to have a few vegetarian days every week and maybe even a vegan day.  Your body will thank you, especially your ticker.  (The mistreated animals will too…)  If you interested in making a shift, trying the movie Forks Over Knives.

5.     Listen to more fun podcasts: a couple of my all-time favorites are “The Satellite Sisters,” “The Chaos Chronicles,” “This American Life,” “The Because Show,” “Freakanomics,” and “The Moth.”  I listen to them while driving, bathing, exercising, going to the physio, and when I’m baking.  My six and eight year old daughters are in love with the Dolan Sisters (from Satellite Sisters) and are constantly saying is, “Is that Liz or Sheila, mama?”  “No, it’s Lian.”  “I bet it’s Monica: she’s got a cute voice.”

6.     Try bathing.  It's much more relaxing than showering and combined with wine and a mag, you've got a barrel full of pleasure.  Shower off afterward to get rid of the accumulated scum.  Honestly, it’s my top life tip. I could never live in a house without a tub.

7.     Wear comfortable shoes, but try to look cool at the same time.  The whole runners with a dress thing is SO OVER.  Don’t go geriatric.  There are a whole lot of stylin’ shoes these days that are built for comfort.  Do your research…and let me know what you come up with, PLEASE!

8.     Get the right pillows and fluff them just right so you're good to go for the night.  Test some out.  You’d be surprised how the wrong pillows can impact your sleep.  And you won’t know until you test drive some new ones.  I’m personally a fan of down pillows without a lot of fill, but piled three high.

9.     Decide that you're going to like work.  Most of us are not inheritance holders and we’re going to be showing up at the grind for many years to come, like it or not.  Figure out what’s good about it, adjust your expectations and go there and decide to have some fun.  If it’s impossible, find something else.  But don’t burn your bridges.  You need a good recommendation after all, and there’s nothing bosses like better than a good attitude and a can-do spirit.  Fake it til you make it!

10.  Compliment yourself constantly especially if no one else is doing it for you.  Seriously.  It’s easy to look in the mirror and think, “Your’e a dog,” but how about trying, “Hey sexy, looking good!”  If you can't fool even yourself, go back to the closet and start again.  This is why you should get your clothes together THE NIGHT BEFORE and TRY THEM ON too!  It's not that  hard: you can do it while watching Glee or Downton Abbey.

Happy weekend all: remember, if you're not going to treat yourself well, don't expect anyone else to, either.  Start acting like the diva/divo that you were meant to be!