There are two reasons that we should take care of ourselves:
- You are worth it!
- If you do not take care of yourself, you will not be able to care for anyone else.
In a recent Dateline article found on the UCDavis website, they likened taking care of ourselves to an airplane trip. You will recall when they give their short presentation on safety and talk of oxygen masks, they tell you to put your mask on first then to assist others around you. If you put your mask on first, or take care of yourself first, then you will be able to assist many people around you. If you deprive yourself of what your body, heart and soul needs, then there will be very little of yourself left to share or help others.
There's a third reason we rarely heart about, but let's put all our cards on the table today:
- We need to take care of ourselves and not always take care of others because that sometimes hurts the other person.
For example, if you are a parent and you always take care of your child's problems or hurts, they will never learn from their mistakes or develop a healthy self-esteem or even learn how to take care of themselves. Uh-oh! How many times have you heard a parent say that they want to protect their child from getting hurt or having to deal with problems or difficulties. Think about what is best for that child, family member or friend before you jump in to solve a problem.
Now, in order to take care of yourself you will need balance in your life. Balance is something that we achieve when:
- We have a life work that is challenging and gives us a sense of accomplishment;
- We have time to play in order to relax, have fun and experience joy;
- We have love in our life, meaning not just a romantic or physical love but the love of one person to another;
- We experience a spirituality where we have some sort of connectivity to something larger than ourselves.
As you read this list you may find that you have all of these components for balance in your life. Next, determine what percent or proportion they represent in your life. In my opinion this is the whole crux to living our lives on a daily basis - keeping these elements in proportionate balance.
So, what are some things that you can start doing today to take care of yourself? When was the last time that you did something purely for fun? When was the last time you said "no" to someone without feeling guilty about it? When was the last time you let your child solve a problem on his/her own? When was the last time you put your personal needs, health or well-being ahead of another's lesser needs?
Taking care of yourself may be one of the hardest things you can do. It helps to have a friend or family member who is supportive and is someone you can talk openly with about what is going on in your life. Other ways to take care of yourself include talking over your concerns with another; exercise, diet and sleep; setting limits; and solving problems. You should also take mini stress breaks or mini vacations each day to refresh your energy and spirit. As you begin taking care of yourself you will find that you have more to give to others and that the balance in your life will once again be restored.
Copyright M. A. Webb, 2005. All Rights Reserved
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