I want you to think about how you take care of yourself.
- Are you burning the candle at both ends and suffering from burnout?
- Do you wear busy like a badge of honor? Sacrifice sleep to mark one more thing off your To Do list?
- Do you say yes, yes, yes, and then wonder why your calendar is overscheduled and you feel worn out and weary?
What’s your version of self-care?
You know that Hallmark slogan When you care enough to send the very best?
Well, what’s your version of self-care?
- When you care about everyone else BUT yourself or When you care enough to take care of yourself TOO.
If your self-care had a tagline, what would it be?
Maybe yours would be a twist on the Nike slogan: Just Do It.
Do it all. And then some. And then some more. Say yes to everything. Overcommit. Overdo. Just do it.
Or perhaps your version of self-care flips L’Oreal’s Because You’re Worth It on its head.
Yours would be more like: Because you’re not really worth it.
Or at least you act that way. Putting everyone’s needs before your own. Nurturing everyone but yourself. Not getting enough sleep. Never truly relaxing because there’s always more to do. Failing to prioritize your own well-being.
It could be your self-care takes the FedEx slogan “When it absolutely positively has to be there overnight” and changes it to this nifty little catchphrase: When it absolutely positively has to be done by me.
Because no one else can do it exactly the way you can.
You complain no one helps out. But if someone does pitch in, there’s no way their efforts will live up to your impossibly high standards of perfection (aka: I’m the only one who can do it right aka: I’m the only one who can do it my way).
Let’s be real: There’s no time for self-care when you’re The Queen of Doing It All Without Asking or Accepting Help.
Where’s your oxygen mask?
We’ve all heard the flight attendant tell us to put on our own oxygen mask before helping others.
Well, a lot of women are doing anything but this in daily life.
Instead, so many women put on everyone else’s oxygen mask, fly the plane, serve the drinks—all without putting their own oxygen mask even on—and then wonder why they feel like they can’t breathe.
Neglect of self is misguided.
This lack of self-care is exhausting. It’s exhausting for the woman who doesn’t take care of herself. (Is that you?) And to those around her, watching.
It’s not selfish to take care of yourself.
- You can’t fully show up when you’re running on empty.
- You can’t contribute your gifts and talents when you’re exhausted.
- You can’t be the very best version of yourself when you’re irritated and resentful from all your overdoing.
What have you done for your well-being today?
Self-care means taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
What have you done—today—for your well-being? And even more important, what do you do as a regular self-care practice?
Because we can all schedule the one-off massage or take a nap one day a year on our birthday.
- But what do you do day in and day out?
- How do you tend to your own needs, honor yourself, and refuel?
- How do you care and love yourself daily?
What tagline would you give your current self-care practice? Even better, what self-care slogan are you going to embrace going forward?
(My self-care slogan is a little spin on American Express’ Don’t leave home without it. Self-care: Don’t go a day without it!)
