Are you too busy taking care of everyone else to focus on you?
We all want to feel well. We want to feel energetic, glowing, joyful and alive. However with modern demands and conflicting priorities life can be a bit chaotic. We seem to be pushing, striving, hustling and rushing. So healthy and well isn’t always easy to achieve, especially when we are so busy looking after everybody else. Looking after ourselves is often the last thing we focus on.
Busy is not an excuse.
So a very common excuse people make for not taking care of themselves is that they are too busy taking care of everybody else. They justify neglecting themselves in exchange for caring for others. Now this may sound noble, it may even appear selfless and giving; BUT it really is a means of self-sabotage.
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
If you are used to putting others first it’s hard to prioritise yourself, and not feel guilty about it. Consider an aeroplane when we are told to put on our own oxygen masks first before attending to others. The idea clashes with our instinct right? What does it really mean? Simply put: If you don’t put your mask on first, you won’t be there for all those other people when they need you. You will be unconscious.
The same applies to us. Our natural tendency is to do for others, because we are caring, loving, nurturing, responsible, supportive and competent people. However, just like the oxygen mask, we need to take care of ourselves so we can effectively take care of the people we love. I say it all the time to my clients; “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” If we are overweight, stressed out and unwell due to putting ourselves at the bottom of the ‘To-Do’ list, you can’t be your best for the important people in your life. Kind of counterintuitive right?
You can manage ‘Busy.’
So if you find yourself frazzled, worn out, irritable, habitually complaining and ‘over it,’ it’s probably time to make some changes. See the thing is, it is absolutely possible to live a life you love; to live a life that is interesting, stimulating and fulfilling but that is not panicked, rushed and chaotic. Managing ‘busy’ and looking after your health is a deliberate choice. An intentional mindset. A discipline within everyone’s reach.
As a health and wellness coach I see the crazy, messy, demanding, no down-time, don’t let anyone see what this is really like truth. I also see people searching for something different. Searching for something they believe is unattainable. Lives that they can enjoy, space to breathe, time to live and not just exist.
If you would like some guidance and support to find workable solutions that fit into your busy lives…solutions that done with consistency will ensure your life becomes full of real living and great health then contact me.
Life can be so much more than just keeping your head above water.