Taking Care of You
You're a parent, school volunteer, Little League coach, and trusted assistant to your boss. You rose at 6 a.m., made breakfast, packed lunches, cleaned the house, chauffeured the neighborhood kids, helped with homework, read bedtime stories, and finished extra work from the office. It's 11:30. You're exhausted. And, in about six-and-a-half hours you'll begin the whole 24-hour cycle...again.
If you find yourself saying ‘Stop the merry-go-round, I want to get off!' you're not alone. Most of us -- especially women -- have at some time found ourselves at the bottom of the heap when it comes to taking care of our needs.
The problem with that is that if we don't take care of ourselves, sooner or later we won't be of much use to anyone else--or to ourselves. Just as the airline attendant tells you to put on your own oxygen mask in an emergency before helping a child with theirs, you must take care of your own basic needs before you can attend to the needs of others. What's more, being busy is not necessarily the same as being productive with meaningful activity. (Do the workaholics you know really accomplish that much more in proportion to the time they invest?)
If "putting yourself first" (a common admonition) sounds too selfish or too hard, try something simpler: Put yourself on an equal footing with those you love and tend to. Do you insist that they get enough sleep? Start making that a priority for yourself, too. Do you give them time for fun and socializing with friends? Then you do the same! Remember Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Human beings must meet their basic needs before they can move on to higher-level goals.
Your life should be like a checking account, balancing out on a regular basis so that you always have assets to draw upon. By making even small deposits -- taking care of yourself with a 10-minute walk or a nutritious meal -- you'll be amazed at the interest you'll reap.
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