Self-care… why?
It’s easy to get caught up in looking after the family, taking care of things at work and making sure the dog goes to the vet for her booster shots. Sometimes though, it is easy to forget to check-in with yourself and take care of your own needs.
It feels good to do all the stuff for others. Up to a point…
Pretty soon though, with your own resources becoming depleted and used up, it can become exhausting, stressful, overwhelming – take your pick!
And what happens when you are so exhausted that you can’t continue? Or so stressed that you experience debilitating symptoms? or so overwhelmed that you just can’t keep all the plates spinning?
Being overtired, having lots of stressors and/or taking on too much, all puts a strain on physical and psychological wellbeing. Your immune system will be compromised. What would happen if you got sick?
What should you do?
On a plane, the safety instruction for the oxygen masks is to put yours on first, before helping others.
What does that equate to in your busy life? A quick cuppa and five minutes doing the crossword may be a stopgap but…
You know that your car needs regular maintenance to continue to operate safely. You have to provide fuel for the everyday use, but periodically, you must service the engine, MOT and change worn parts – a more detailed look at wear and tear, if you will.
Self-care is maintenance for you. Your needs include time and space to have that more detailed look, to restore and reconnect with what makes you uniquely you.