As a single mom coach who helps clients learn to engage in and embrace self-care, one of the things that bugs me most is how so many people view self-care. And this article, bringing attention to a viral video, just highlights the problem even more.

Let’s begin with the literal definition of self-care, shall we?

I met him when I was 13. It was Labor Day weekend, at a weekend camping event with a bunch of bikers. My parents and his parents both rode motorcycles and despite living 90 miles apart, we came together this one hot summer weekend.

We met in the pool. He in swim trunks, me a bikini. A couple of teenage kids, who felt something that we were barely old enough to understand, much less identify. He was about a year younger than me but he lied and said he was my age.

We spent the whole weekend hanging out together…

Hi, my name is Wendy and I’m a procrastinator.

I procrastinate any opportunity I can get away with it. And the worst part is that I don’t just procrastinate on things I don’t want to do. I also procrastinate on things I do want to do. I tell myself I need to wait until I have more time, or I’m not so tired, or until I can group these three or four things together — you know, the same excuses I offer for the things I don’t want to do.

But here’s what I’ve learned about procrastination. It solves nothing…

My sons are 20 and 17 these days. I’ve been a single mom for my younger son’s entire life and the majority of my older son’s. Their father came to see them very sporadically for about eight months to a year after our divorce, then he split, never to be seen again. I’m pretty sure he’s still alive only because I get occasional child support payments on the tens of thousands in past due support he owes.

When they were little, we went through the usual parenting things: potty-training, getting them to sleep through the night, teaching them not to…

Have you ever tried to run a race without knowing where the finish line is? How about writing a book, or even just a simple report or presentation, without knowing what the topic is? Of course not! You run the race with the intention of crossing the finish line after a mile or write the report with the intention of giving your boss a clear picture of how the company will save money by switching production from one factory to another.

Setting intentions, no matter what they may be, can truly transform your life. Not only will you find you…

Technology changed the way we date with the introduction of video dating in the 1980s and later, online dating websites and apps. Where we once relied on friends or family to introduce us to someone, or meeting them at school or work or other activities, we can now stay at home and have our pick of people who live both near and far.

But even in these days of eHarmony and Match.com, there are advantages to meeting people through family and friends. Online dating sites can help you find thousands of people you would be unlikely to come across in…

There’s no shortage of information on how to strengthen your relationship with your family, boss, or coworkers. However, you never hear about how to have a more productive relationship with yourself.

Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you have! Most of the trouble you have with yourself is that you don’t know yourself well.

You may have spent most of your life avoiding yourself. We don’t want to address our shortcomings or deal with uncomfortable thoughts. But you can’t escape yourself, so you might as well make friends.

The better you know yourself, the better your relationship…

A few years ago, I found my life suddenly in free fall. My relationship, which admittedly was struggling already, fell apart when I learned my partner had been cheating on me with multiple people. A dear friend suddenly ended our friendship without explanation, taking with her half of my income because we had also been working together. And then my grandmother, a woman whom I’d loved and admired my entire life, passed away. I really felt like my life was nothing but a big pit of misery.

I questioned whether I’d ever be happy again, or even find contentment.

The…