Taking a bath has always sounded so luxurious and like the epitome of self care to me. I always envisioned a claw foot tub, lavender Epsom salts and/or bubbles, candles burning, soft music playing, and me completely relaxed; eyes closed with a smile on my face.

I don’t know what it is about a bath that gives me all the self care feels. And yet, for most of my adult life, I made little to no time for taking a bath. It was simply this idea of how I wanted life to be.

When I went to health coaching school we had the amazing opportunity to be coached by our fellow classmates every week. It gave me the chance to really dive into some habits that I wanted to change and/or create.

No matter what subject matter I started off talking about in my coaching session, it somehow evolved into me needing to take some time for myself, which always led to taking a bath.

It became a running joke amongst my classmates. Every time I showed up for class people were asking me if I had taken my bath.

I ended up creating a new habit where once a week I would set aside some time for myself, draw a bath (with lavender Epsom salts of course), light a candle, and read a book. To be totally honest, it was everything I had hoped it would be.

It became a signal not just for me, but also for my family, that this was me time. No one needed my help, asked me questions, or wanted anything from me for the 30 minutes I was in the tub. Sometimes they would even light the candles for me or bring me a glass of wine.

What I began to realize over time was that the bath was just a symbol of what it looked like for me to actually slow down and begin to prioritize myself.

I remember when I was first diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Epstein Barr Virus, and Lyme; my doctor told me to make sure that I took 30 minutes every day just for myself. I thought she was crazy! Who has 30 minutes a day to devote just to themselves.

What it would take me years to realize is that taking time to myself was not taking anything away from anyone else. Meaning, life would not only continue for everyone else but would most likely be better for them when I actually took time to take care of myself.

While I don’t take a bath every week anymore, it was the catalyst for creating the space and time to do things just for me. Self care has become a joked about hashtag but it is truly important for your health and well being to create that space and time just for you

So, when was the last time you took a bath? Let me know in the comments!