Self Care – Not a priority, sorry!
How often do you put you first?
How often do you do something that is just for your benefit and no one else’s?
How often do you make time for yourself, to have a pamper, go for a run, meditate, write, read, watch a movie, paint, crochet, go for a walk, a swim?
Many of us see self care as something we don’t have time for.
When we have children, we prioritise their needs.
When we don’t have children, we prioritise our partner’s needs, our parents’ needs, our friends’ need, our work colleagues’ needs.
So many of us are guilty of putting everyone else first and end up with no time for ourselves, we think it doesn’t matter
What is self care?
Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to develop, maintain, and improve our mental, emotional, and physical health.
Self care is the key to improving our mood and reducing our anxiety. It is also the key to better relationships with yourself and others.
Self cares helps to top up the tank – instead of us running on empty.
Self care is enjoyable
It’s something we enjoy doing. So if going for a run or watching a boxset is something you think you should be doing because everyone else is, but the very idea makes you feel ill – this is not self care.
I’m not saying don’t exercise but if running is not your thing, it will become a chore and not a joy.
Self care is not selfish
Looking after ourselves; finding ways to improve any aspect of our emotional, mental and physical health benefits everyone who relies on you for anything.
It allows us to look after others better. If you don’t look after yourself, then looking after someone else becomes even more of a challenge.
Give it a try
This week, I challenge you to aim for just 10 minutes a day doing something that helps you with your own physical, mental or emotional wellbeing.
We can work up to 30 minutes in small increments, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
This could be working out a meal plan for the week with some healthy options (instead of just grabbing what’s in the cupboard as you run out of the house), or cooking a recipe you keep meaning to try.
It could be going for a walk, marching on the spot, dancing to your favourite tunes (I am so down with the kids), or some yoga.
It could be a YouTube video introducing you to meditation or a catch up with a friend.
Self care should be enjoyable. I am only asking for you to do something that makes you feel better for 10 minutes.
The best or what’s left?
Remember, self care allows you to give the world the best of you and not what’s left of you. I love this quote.
Think about what you accomplish now, and how amazing that is and then think about how much more you could do if you could give the best of you to the task and not what’s left.
