With busy lives it can be hard to find time to care for ourselves, but it’s the first step in caring for others.
I was recently inspired by an article I found from VeryWellFamily about self-care strategies for parents. How many of you take time out for yourself? I imagine the majority of your time is spent taking care of your children, family members, pets, even friends.
But caring for ourselves is the first step in being able to care for others. Have you ever been on a plane and heard them say “Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others”? This is the same principle. How can you help your child gain strength if you yourself are depleted?
I understand that overwhelm comes easy. Sometimes the thought of adding something new into our schedule is enough of a deterrent to not take action at all. But what if we took something we already do and add in some intention?
Me, I love to breathe in the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans as I make my morning cup of joe. I use this as a reminder to center myself for the day. It only takes a few moments but those moments are for me. They bring me joy, and it’s something I can do intentionally that allows me, literally, to stop for a moment and smell the roses – or at least the roast – and be right in that present moment.
There are 15 more suggestions on ways to take care of yourself in the article I read, from engaging your senses (like I do with the coffee) to listening, going for a walk taking a break from electronics and more. I encourage you to read it too, but more importantly I encourage you to make sure you don’t forget about yourself.
