Samantha has three kids who play sports, a spouse, and a full time job. She feels like she can barely go to the bathroom alone. Dave is a shift worker. He works long hours, sometimes weekends, and likes to hunt and spend time with family. Carol has elderly parents that require a lot of care and attention. She brings them to doctors appointments, does their grocery shopping and checks in often.
My guess is that you are one of the above in some form or fashion. We are all busy. We all have full plates and we all give a lot. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we all have time. You just need to take it.
The airlines have it right when it comes to self care. Their instructions to us, if the plane was to experience trouble is to first put your own mask on and then to help others with their masks. Why? To make sure you are okay so that you can help others.
Likewise, putting your health and fitness, your engine, on the back burner will leave you sputtering. At some point you’ll be, quite literally, gasping for air. When was the last time you took time to evaluate your self care practices? What does your exercise routine look like? Did you quit the gym you joined last New Years? Has quarantine thrown you off balance? Block a specific time in your schedule like a doctor appointment. Get back on board. It’s not too late.
Do you have a solid exercise schedule? What does your recovery look like? After all, we exercise to recover and the gains we see from the gym come when we rest. Schedule a massage, yoga class, or quiet time. Block it off. Make it an appointment.
What does your diet look like? Does it need a little cleaning up? Mix a healthy meal in as much as you can. Start with one and go from there. Need some guidance? We can help.
It’s so easy to brush off self care, especially during the holiday season. Our houses are full, parties are abundant, stress is high. But now, more than ever, it’s important to embrace self care. Increasing physical activity, decreasing mental stress, and being intentional with healthy eating is vital to supporting mental and physical health and staving off illness and recuperating faster if we fall ill.
Pull your planner out. Make an appointment with yourself (we have 34 classes each week to choose from).
Be better at life by being better to yourself first.
Coach April