Self care is not being selfish. Everyone needs to prioritise their wellbeing otherwise they will eventually burn out. That is why a timeout is important. A time to reset, refresh and rejuvenate from life’s stressors. It is like hitting the reset button and starting again.
No matter how busy you think you are, take a moment to stop and reflect on why you are so busy. Think about what you are so busy doing and is that `busy’ something that adds value to your life or not.
While it is understandable that you cannot control stop doing some things, you can however take back control on how you respond. Even how and when you will do them.
I used to think I had to be constantly available or forever working, but I have since realised that is not the case. I needed to prioritise me. Over the past 10 years I have been gradually stepping back from things that don’t serve me or do not align with my values. I have set boundaries and made it clear on when I would, and would not, be available.
Self care and prioritising me has become my top priority. Prioritising my health and wellbeing will always come first otherwise I will not be able to help others and do all the tasks I need to do. Including to provide wellbeing programs to you help you prioritise your wellbeing.
Last week I was offline in the beautiful McLaren Vale region, My accommodation was right in the heart of nature and within easy walking distance to several wineries, restaurants, and art gallery and walking trails. Although the cottage I was in had WIFI access, I did not connect. My goal was to stay offline and reconnect with myself instead.
And although I was offline all last week, you would still have seen social and blog posts from me. This is because I have designed systems to work for me while I am not. Setting up systems to work while you are not is one way of stepping back to give yourself that much needed self care time.
My goal for the rest of this year is to experiment with other systems I can set up to allow me to build on my values while still providing valuable wellness services and information for my business and clients.
What systems can you implement – either in your personal or professional life – that will allow you to prioritise you?
Remember, prioritising your health is not selfish. It is about knowing your limits about what you can do and how you can be smarter in doing it.