“Spending quality time with yourself is not indulgence, it is vital to well-being and stress management”, says Sharon Norling, M.D., M.B.A. “It’s part of the balance you need to enjoy life optimally.” A doctor, author, lecturer, educator, and medical business advisor, Norling considers herself a patient’s partner in healing. Norling is board-certified in OB/GYN, Holistic Medicine, and Medical Acupuncture. At her Mind, Body, Spirit Center in Westlake Village, California, she uses Western, alternative, and complementary therapies such as functional medicine, nutrition, and mind-body techniques.
Life requires a constant striving for balance. Norling says everyone should be scheduling consistent alone time. “Sitting still while making to-do lists doesn’t count”, she advises. “Block out a date with yourself on your calendar. If you can’t find fifteen minutes or more a day, then arrange an hour every few days, but make it a commitment you don’t write off. Learn to say, ‘Sorry, I have plans’ if something intrudes, just as you would for any important appointment.”
One of Norling’s favorites is a warm bath and an early bedtime. Meditation and yoga are great. “Just as I prescribe different treatments depending on an individual’s physical, emotional, and spiritual conditions, each person can find a variety of balancing practices for different times and moods. What matters is that you consider the time and space sacred. Follow your joy, and do things that make you happy”, she says. Here are some other prescriptions Norling suggests for sacred time:
Read. Anything that takes you away from the daily grind is beneficial, but something inspirational and uplifting is a positive choice.
Garden. Planting flowers and creating growth and beauty around you, can be grounding spiritually as well as physically.
Have lunch or dinner alone. Treating yourself at a restaurant with healthful food and atmosphere is an easy way to break from the rat race.
Get a massage or relaxing spa treatment. This works well for your body, mind, and spirit.
Keep a journal. If you can’t write every day, at least do it when your thoughts keep your mind from quieting.
By Judith Lazarus
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