Putting Yourself First We have all heard the instructions of an airline attendant reminding us to put on our own oxygen mask before we help anyone else with theirs. This advice is often cited as a metaphor for self-care because it so accurately expresses why it is important. It seems to say, ironically, that if you can't take care of yourself for yourself, do it for others. Few situations in our daily lives mimic the wake-up call of an airplane emergency, so it's easy to keep putting self-care off-easy, that is, until we get sick, overwhelmed, or exhausted, and suddenly don't have the energy to care for the people who count on us. That's when we realize we haven't been getting the oxygen we need to sustain ourselves. We begin to understand that taking care of ourselves is neither selfish nor indulgent; it's just plain practical.
Putting yourself first means that it may be necessary to say no to someone else in order to say yes to yourself. For many of us, there is always something we feel we could be doing for someone else, and it helps to remember the oxygen metaphor. You can even encourage yourself by saying "I am caring for myself so that I am better able to care for others" or some other mantra that will encourage you. It also helps to remember that self-care doesn't have to be composed of massively time-consuming acts. In fact, the best prescription for taking care of yourself is probably small, daily rituals; for example, taking one half-hour for yourself at the beginning and end of the day to meditate, journal, or just be. You might also transform the occasional daily shower or bath into a half-hour self-pampering session.
Whatever you decide, making some small gesture where you put yourself first every day will pay off in spades for you and the ones you love. The oxygen you need is all around you; sometimes you just need to be reminded to breathe.
Source: Daily OM
For myself, I find that it is so easy to keep myself in "people pleasing" mode, or in putting all my energy into situations/people outside myself. Not only is this physically unhealthy, but when I catch myself really going over board in this area, most likely there is something going on within me that I'm avoiding by keeping others in the forefront of my concerns. First, I must deal with both my mental health and my physical health before I really have healthy energy to give to others. Otherwise, we all get short changed...Wren
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"Never argue with an idiot... They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience..."
Instead of an oxygen mask? Just stick ones head out the window...:) Alky thinkin...
Nope..Bubba is not flying anywhere for a while...everytime I get on a plane? The consequenses are not good..lol and thats a book in itself...
Sifting through halfway house Government paperwork from Canada..and 5 different States...I think theres a different office for each peice of paper..Deep Breaths... ....and lookin up...answers will come...Got the Pardon tho...and a passport...thats a start...
Cool here too....cats wearing a fur coat...and shes inside...:)
Have a good night eh...
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"LOVE" devoid of self-gratification, is in essence, the will, to the greatest good...of another.
