A girlfriend and I were dishing recently about how hard it is to fit “me time” into busy lives. I startled her by suggesting that it’s really possible and by retelling a recent exchange with my dear hubby that portrays how I subliminally pave the way for my success.

It went something like this: “The boys have back-to-back soccer then baseball practice tomorrow night. Would you prefer that I go to early morning aerobics or can you manage both practices if I go to the evening class?” With two active, young boys—and a third one on the way—we have this conversation almost daily based on their changing schedules and ours.

“Unbelievable,” my friend remarked. “You gave your spouse a choice but you didn’t give him the option to take away your workout time. Is that how you fit in ‘me time?’”
“Yes,” I confessed. My dirty little secret is that for months I’ve been experimenting with an idea that’s backed by science but rarely used by the gentler sex: giving myself permission to take care of me. And it often means I have to make waves in my family’s routines to do it.

The results? I have far less stress than ever before. I’m finding time to workout, to play in my garden and to spend real quality time with the kids. I’ve even trimmed a few inches off of my waist and I now live more peacefully and mindfully than ever.

The family? They’re proving the axiom true: When mamma’s happy, everybody’s happy.

The rub? When we put ourselves first we’re often portrayed as rebelling against our very nature as the helpmate and caretaker who God pulled straight from Adam’s rib to keep himorganized and on task.

Conventional wisdom suggests we can have it all if we’re willing to wait to get our share. Not any more. Popular doctor and author Christiane Northrup, MD, says she has spent a lifetime learning about the importance of self-care and she now heralds it out as the “single-most important aspect of our health, period.”

We know what we need: to eat and breathe well, exercise and meditate each day, set healthy limits and boundaries—especially with unhealthy people, spend our energy wisely, snooze deeply, learn to say no to anything that isn’t absolutely essential and care for ourselves before we attempt to care for others.

What we seem to need is permission to put ourselves first. And that’s where we can help you on this site. First, we suggest that you ditch the “to-do” list that never seems to get done. Do you know you could be shaving as much as five to seven years off of your life just from the stress of multitasking? You’ll never again look at super-woman syndrome the same way after reading The Madness of Multitasking.

Second, it's time to shed some light on self-care as an essential weight-loss tool in the success of every contestant on the popular TV series The Biggest Loser. And we’ve got the first-person reflections to prove it from three of season five’s contestants, including the champ herself.

Start by reading these two articles and then do one of the healthiest things to bolster your well-being: Call a friend. You’ll not only blow off steam and climb out of your own issues by catching up on her life but you’ll also reap a host of other health benefits described in A Friend Indeed.

With these well wishes I hereby give you permission to care first for yourself. I can’t wait to learn how you do it!