You know that favorite thing that you do? You know, that thing that you love so much? That thing that makes you feel better about yourself, happy, content? That thing that you pull out when you have had a bad day? Well, what do you do, if that fail-safe, that thing that ALWAYS works, doesn’t?

We all have that one thing that we depend on, albeit reading, playing a game or cooking, just does not work on that one day when we really need it to. It does not mean that in the future that the nurturing activity or thing will never work for us again. It does mean, that we need nurturing now; we need to find something else. This can be a challenge when we are in the middle of not being happy, to try and come up with an alternative. Our brains may not be in gear enough to choose something healthy. Which Is why you need to plan ahead.

Take a time when you are not feeling overwhelmed or stressed and explore other options that may be nurturing, like soaking in a hot tub, wrapping yourself in a blanket or petting a puppy. Make a list of the top 5 alternatives; the ones that while not your number one, may work when you need something else. It is important to have these alternatives ready so that you can always make a healthy choice.

But most importantly, keep nurturing yourself. It is a very important part of a healthy life!