Have you ever been going so hard and fast that you get to the point where you just want to shut down and curl up into a ball and pretend the world didn’t exist? Do you want to go to that yoga class or start eating healthy but there is just no TIME? Do you want to take a vacation but just can’t seem to unplug completely from the world, your job, your life?
If you are like me, this sounds all too familiar. I am guilty of letting my time be consumed by everything other than what is truly important. Taking care of ME! My lack of self care has manifested in so many ways. Illness, stress, depression, anxiety, and down right feelings of lack of control of my life and a lack of progress in manifesting my desires. It has to stop!
I have workaholic tendencies and fall too easily into believing that if I am not constantly working, I am not making progress. I also have the tendency to put everything in front of what I need. I am a caretaker, I am a people pleaser, and I am always looking for the distraction to not focus on what I need. That is, until this year. I made a promise to myself (NOT a resolution) to make more time for me. It has been very difficult to make these changes, but has been so rewarding. It has only been a couple of months, but I can already feel and see the shift happening. I know deep down inside that I cannot be the best version of myself until I make time for myself and just do ME!
Selfish? Maybe. But it has been a long road and I got to the point that I just could not give anymore. My mental and physical well being was in serious jeopardy. Some of the challenges I am and have faced are having to step back from everything. I am definitely getting push back in some of these areas, but I know it will be temporary. However, this all causes me great anxiety because I know where I need and want to be, but am trying to move mountains to find a way to get there. I have a ton of emotions and feelings coming up that I am having to work through, and I am ok with it. I know it is only helping me grow and be the best version of myself. I get overwhelmed at times and that is ok too. It gives me a chance to step back, take a breath, and start over.
So…what am I doing for self care? First and foremost, I am SLOWING DOWN! Running a million miles an hour at everything all at once only causes more stress and anxiety. I am taking everything one day at a time. Stopping to rest and “smelling the roses”. I take every opportunity to enjoy the views around me and the time I spend with those I love. Yep, some days that means just sitting and vegging out on tv, the sky, a book, or whatever I feel at the moment. I am also getting back to my yoga practice and adding more days during the week for my Tai Chi practice. I have an hour commute each way to and from work so I use that time as my rolling classroom. I listen to all of my favorite audio books by my favorite authors, coaches, and speakers. I tap into podcasts and online trainings from everyone in my business organization. I practice my daily affirmations and visualization exercises.
Is it working? Heck yes! I am getting stronger and more confident. I am finally ok with telling people “no” when the ask doesn’t serve me or I just can’t make it happen. The most difficult part is saying “no” without the guilt, but I am there…most of the time.
A great analogy that was recently shared with me: you have a pitcher of water and several glasses to fill. You pour all of the water into the half of the glasses but your pitcher has run out. The next step…fill the pitcher again and fill the remaining glasses. YOU are the pitcher! When you are empty, there is nothing more to give. Take the time to fill up your pitcher! What are you going to do today to practice self care?
