When describing most people’s lives, busy is an understatement. It’s hard for you to find the time to give to yourself and your needs. When you steal away for a minute or two, it bothers you because you’re thinking about other things.
That’s a common occurrence. You might be one of millions of people who experiences feelings of guilt whenever you want to do something for yourself. The reason that people feel this way is because they think it’s selfish to take some “me time” when there are so many other things they could be doing for someone else.
It’s not selfish to take some time to recharge your batteries. You need to unplug from being plugged in to everyone else’s needs. Otherwise, you drain your own batteries and then you have nothing left to give anyone – including yourself.
It’s not wrong to put yourself at the top of your to-do list. By taking care of your own needs first, you protect yourself financially, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Practice self care by understanding where you’re at with your health goals and see what you’ve been neglecting in that area. You might find a mental or physical issue you’ve been ignoring that could be addressed and give you a new lease on life.
Because you have so much going on, you push your own health needs aside, telling yourself you’ll get to it someday. But the most ideal time to take care of yourself is now. Take a few minutes and take stock of what’s going on with your body and then make time to deal with whatever it is.
You should also look at the things that you like to do that you haven’t been able to do because you haven’t been practicing self care. These might be things like going to the movies with friends, taking a class you’ve been wanting to take, reading a book, taking a trip or simply sitting at home working on a creative project.
Taking the time to do the things that feed the emotional side or creative side of you is a great way to add self care. Just like you list events or appointments on your calendar for family or friends’ needs, you should add yours as well.
Block out time to do the stuff that makes you smile or makes you feel fulfilled. You don’t have to spend a lot of money – or even any at all – just find what you enjoy doing and make time for it.
No distractions, no thinking about meeting someone else’s needs. Tune in to yourself instead. Part of self care is found in protecting your time. This means you’re going to have to set boundaries. Don’t be afraid to say no to others so there’s time for yourself.
