We Take Care of Our Clients, BUT...

...How Well Do We Take Care of Ourselves and Our Loved Ones?

I was listening to the radio the other day, and heard that the third Tuesday of September (Sept. 18th this year) has been designated at Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day, and it started me to thinking: As Realtors, we take good care of our clients, But...how well do we take care of ourselves?

My clients can always expect me to go above and beyond for them (i.e. always ready, willing, and able to take care of almost any need they may have, including recently sitting in the Social Security Administration's office for nearly 2 hours to order a lost card for a member of our armed forces who'd been in Iraq, etc., etc.) I'll do almost anything for my clients...and decided I need to be doing more for my well-being also.

Some things I plan to do more of are...

1) Exercising. Last year, I purchased a membership at a Curves, located near my house, and at the local YMCA near my office. My thinking was if I joined two gyms, I would at least go one of them! In the past few months, I have gotten back on track and am now working out consistently. My clothes are even fitting better. Hooray!

When I don't have time to go to the gym, I exercise at home with taped programs I've purchased over the years, including ones by Gilad and Windsor Pilates. Also, in my area, Time Warner Cable offers FitTV and Exercise on Demand, which have all sorts wonderful programs.

2) Massage. Now, this may seem like a luxury to some, but think about how often you're stressed. A massage, at least once a month, would be quite helpful! In Raleigh, North Carolina, I have found one of the best kept massage secrets--the local massage schools! One that I frequent is: Healing Arts Massage School near Cameron Village. They have advanced students provide the services. A 1-hour massage is only $30, while 1.5 hours is $45. You can't beat it! (If you live outside of the Raleigh area, you may find that massage schools near you offer similar services.)

3) Yoga. This is beneficial because it causes me to slow down and focus. Also, it enables me to take time to stretch tight muscles. (If you're like me, you sit quite a bit and may experience tight hip flexors. Yoga has helped.) I currently do yoga at home with the aid of my Basic Yoga for Dummies tapes. Some yoga studios in the Raleigh, Cary, and around Wake County include:

• Bikram Hot Yoga, located at 9650 Strickland Road, Ste. 153, in North Raleigh. Currently, they're offering an introductory special of $10 for 10 consecutive days. I have not tried hot yoga yet, but plan to do so soon. My friends rave about the benefits they've seen from it.
• Blue Lotus: 401 N. West Street in Raleigh.
• Namaste Yoga: 1003 High House Rd., Suite 203, Cary, NC.
• Here's a list of other studios in the area.

4) Eating right. I have found that when I provide my body with the proper nutrients, it functions so much better. As Realtors, we're always on the go, of course. But many restaurants provide healthy choices--or we can always pack our own healthy snacks and take them along in a cooler. Also, if you have Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as your insurance company, currently they'll pay for 6 visits to the nutritionist free-of-charge!

In addition to the above, check out this fitness blog from an ActiveRainer.

I've shared my tips...I would like to hear what you do to take care of yourself?

Thanks for stopping by today!

Darleen McCullen, Realtor, Broker
Keller Williams Realty

Clipart courtesy of Clipartheaven.com