The Necessity of Self-Care
If you’re too tired to exercise or you’re too busy to take an hour to do something relaxing for yourself, something needs to change. Unfortunately, being able to work long hours, pull all-nighters, and eat on the go is sometimes worn as a badge of honor. However, the truth is that you are doing yourself a disservice by not giving your body and health the attention it needs and deserves. You are also short-changing those around you because you are not functioning at your best. If you want to live on purpose and with passion, you must learn to block time in your schedule for self-care. This may be hard for people-pleasers who have over committed themselves, but prioritizing your self-care is a great way to set boundaries, create balance and restore peace to your life.
“Take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”-Eleanor Brownn
Why is self-care necessary?
Imagine yourself as a glass filled with water and every time you serve or help someone out you are pouring some of the water from the glass. You continue to pour from the glass as time goes by, but you never pour any water into the glass. Eventually, what will happen to the glass? That’s right… the glass will be empty and there will be nothing to pour. This is what happens when you have given of yourself day in and day out. You will get to the point where you are running on empty. You will have no energy and will be walking around looking like a zombie! It’s when you try to survive and live on empty that you are easily annoyed and begin to snap at people. You cannot live an abundant life or serve others when you’re empty and have nothing to give. The mistake many people make is that they wait until their glass is empty before they decide to add more water.
It is important to be intentional about taking care of yourself and making yourself a priority. Not taking care of yourself will lead to the deterioration of your physical and emotional health. For example, sleep is often underrated, but it is so important to a healthy lifestyle. Getting a good night’s rest can help improve your memory, spur creativity, sharpen your attention, help you maintain a healthy weight, and lower your stress among other benefits. I know your to-do list is long, but know when to call it quits and go to bed. Exercise is another activity that you should incorporate into your routine. There are so many ways you can get your exercise in, that there really is no excuse to not take part in some type of physical activity whether it’s walking, jogging, Zumba, swimming, or any of the many options that are out there. It is easy to neglect yourself because you’re busy and have a lot to do, but if you want to live an abundant and joyous life, you must be proactive about taking care of yourself.
Ready to thrive?
- Develop a self-care plan where you intentionally include self-care activities in your schedule every week.
- Sign up for a group activity or exercise class and find an accountability buddy in the class to help you stick to it.
What are some of your self-care tips? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
