Self Care for the Mind, Body & Soul I remember waking up to a bird that would tap its beak on the side of my window, the little bird would tap and tap, as I lay there with my eyes closed I could hear singing, a little birdy song while all else was silent, clear and refreshing. The warm sun on my face and the clean country Michigan air blowing through my window. Those were my summer mornings waking up as a teenager in southeast Michigan, I would wake up before anyone else and make myself a cup of coffee. Drink quietly as I listened to absolutely nothing. I would breathe in the sunlight, watching the laundry blowing on the clothesline in our backyard. In some cultures mornings are sacred. They are a time of renewal because it’s the start of a new day and anything is possible. Waking up first gave me a chance to gather my thoughts and create my idea of the ideal day. I gain great inspiration from knowing just what kind of day I wanted to have and not the kind of day I thought I would. It’s empowering when you begin your day with an intention. Think about what you want, visualize it, see yourself moving through those moments. “Love yourself as you would want to be loved.” Don’t you dislike when someone forgets or ignores you? So why would you forget or ignore yourself? When the stewardess in the airplane goes over the emergency instructions and tells you to put the breathing mask over your face before helping the passenger next to you. This should be your metaphor for life. Address your needs first before you help others. This just simply means that you can’t help someone else if you don’t help yourself first. Imagine you are struggling to breathe yet, you are trying to save someone else but you can’t and you pass out. You both are in danger of losing your lives. I know it may sound a little extreme but it’s not that far off from reality. Many mothers die or become very ill at a young age because they gave everything they had, mentally, and physically to their family and neglected themselves. Give yourself permission to be quiet. Take a bubble bath, read a book, get a massage, go for a long walk, take a class, enjoy a few small moments and just be with you. Get lost in your own thoughts for a short while without the outside world intruding. It’s important to decide that you are worth taking care of. Love Yourself!

1. Self Care for the Mind, Body & Soul
I remember waking up to a bird that would tap its beak on the side of my window, the little bird
would tap and tap, as I lay there with my eyes closed I could hear singing, a little birdy song
while all else was silent, clear and refreshing. The warm sun on my face and the clean country
Michigan air blowing through my window.
Those were my summer mornings waking up as a teenager in southeast Michigan, I would wake
up before anyone else and make myself a cup of coffee. Drink quietly as I listened to absolutely
nothing. I would breathe in the sunlight, watching the laundry blowing on the clothesline in our
backyard.
In some cultures mornings are sacred. They are a time of renewal because it’s the start of a new
day and anything is possible. Waking up first gave me a chance to gather my thoughts and
create my idea of the ideal day. I gain great inspiration from knowing just what kind of day I
wanted to have and not the kind of day I thought I would. It’s empowering when you begin your

2. day with an intention. Think about what you want, visualize it, see yourself moving through those
moments.
“Love yourself as you would want to be loved.”
Don’t you dislike when someone forgets or ignores you? So why would you forget or ignore
yourself?
When the stewardess in the airplane goes over the emergency instructions and tells you to put
the breathing mask over your face before helping the passenger next to you. This should be your
metaphor for life. Address your needs first before you help others. This just simply means that
you can’t help someone else if you don’t help yourself first. Imagine you are struggling to breathe
yet, you are trying to save someone else but you can’t and you pass out. You both are in danger
of losing your lives. I know it may sound a little extreme but it’s not that far off from reality.
Many mothers die or become very ill at a young age because they gave everything they had,
mentally, and physically to their family and neglected themselves.
Give yourself permission to be quiet. Take a bubble bath, read a book, get a massage, go for a
long walk, take a class, enjoy a few small moments and just be with you. Get lost in your own
thoughts for a short while without the outside world intruding.
It’s important to decide that you are worth taking care of. Love Yourself!
Victoria Lee is the founder of Vicky’s Art School, the Monterey County
NAACP Health Committee Chair, and a mother of three, including one
cancer warrior who is a four-time brain tumor survivor. She’s also a
peer-to-peer mentor at the Brain Tumor Foundation in Los Angeles. Vicky

3. has worked with children that are affected by learning disabilities. Additionally, she is
certified in applied behavioral analysis (ABA), meditation, visualization, mindfulness, and
stress reduction techniques. Vicky also enjoys fundraising, organizing community events,
painting, and playing on the beach with her family. She lives in California and holds a
Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Child Development and a focus in ABA.