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Beth Battaglino, RN-C, CEO of HealthyWomen

Beth brings a unique combination of sharp business expertise and women's health insight to her leadership of the organization. Beth has worked in the health care industry for more than 25 years helping to define and drive public education programs on a broad range of women's health issues. She launched and has expanded the HealthyWomen.org brand. As a result of her leadership, HealthyWomen was recognized as one of the top 100 women's health web sites by Forbes for three consecutive years, and was recognized by Oprah magazine as one of the top women's health web sites. HealthyWomen now connects to millions of women across the country through its wide program distribution and innovative use of technology.

Beth is responsible for the business development and strategic positioning of HealthyWomen. She creates partnerships with key health care professionals and consumer groups to provide strategic, engaging and informative award-winning programs. She serves as the organization's chief spokesperson, regularly participating in corporate, non-profit, community and media events. She also is a practicing nurse in maternal child health at Riverview Medical Center- Hackensack Meridian Health, in Red Bank, NJ.

In addition to her nursing degree, Beth holds degrees in political science, business and public administration from Marymount University.

To stay sane, she loves to run and compete in road races. She enjoys skiing and sailing with her husband and young son, and welcoming new babies into the world.

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Why We All Need to Practice Self-Care

You may care for your body when you're in physical pain, but do you also practice self-care when you feel emotional pain?

Self-Care & Mental Health
self-care

If we get a cut, we clean it and put a bandage on it.

If we have a bad cough, persistent fever or chronic pain, we visit our health care professional.

We know how to take care of our bodies. But how much time and attention do we pay to our minds?

In a Ted talk, psychologist Guy Winch points out that we have no problem visiting a doctor when we feel ill. But, he asks the rhetorical question: Why don't we seek the help of a health professional when we feel emotional pain, like guilt, loss or loneliness?

Winch says we must take care of our emotions and our minds "with the same diligence we take care of our bodies." Learn more about 5 Easy Ways to Take Good Care of Yourself.

This form of emotional first-aid is not a selfish act and is not self-indulgent. Instead, self-care is gaining a coveted place in our culture, especially now. Perhaps it's the uncertain times we live in and the knowledge that we need to hang on to comfort now more than ever. Or maybe it's knowing that we simply cannot sustain an unregulated and unreal pace indefinitely.

Your emotional energy gets depleted by doing too much for too long without a break—by ignoring the signs of burnout; by sacrificing important things, like exercising, socializing and relaxing because you're "just too busy." Letting these things go only makes the emotional load heavier.

By practicing self-care, we give ourselves a chance to step away and breathe, thus avoiding burnout. Because, face it, it's not just physical energy and stamina that are threatened by doing too much for too long; it's also focus and mental acuity.

Read about how one woman started prioritizing self-care in motherhood.

Just what does it mean to take care of yourself?

  • Take time to process negative feelings, like anxiety or stress. Don't rush through them or ignore them altogether. Acknowledging your feelings can slow you down and help you think more rationally and can stop your emotions from looming even larger.
  • Write it down. Keeping a journal—whether it be a gratitude journal to remind you of the good things in your life or a written account of your feelings—can help you cope with negative events, researchers find.
  • Learn how to say no. It can be tough, but setting limits on your time can help you deal with feelings of anxiety, stress and irritability from taking on too much.
  • Don't forget to schedule time for yourself. Whatever you love to do, make sure you do it. Block out time in your calendar, and stick to that promise.


Read more:

Easy Steps Toward Discovering Resilience in Midlife

Self-Care for the Soul: An Interview With Life Coach Pamela Mulhearn

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