You Feel Too Stressed For Self-Care
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It’s time for more self-care.
Why Is Self-Care the First Thing To Go?
I noticed myself feeling really stressed lately. So stressed, that I stopped waking up early to do my morning routine of yoga, meditation, journaling and reading. During the school year, I wake up at 5:00 am to get my routine in before I have to take my daughter to school.
Over the summer, I’ve been slowly waking up later and later. I still do some of my routine, but I haven’t exercised in weeks. Some mornings I’ve even skipped meditation, which I know makes me feel more centered and focused. What has giving up part of my morning routine resulted in? More stress!
I stopped my self-care when our home was flooded by Hurricane Harvey. I stopped when our home was being remodeled. I stopped during the pandemic. All times that I definitely needed self-care, more than ever!
Why is it that I do this to myself? And, it’s not just me. I hear friends and clients tell me all the time that they just can’t fit in self-care. They’re too busy. They wish they could get more sleep. They wish they could spend time on a hobby. They wish they could go on that trip with friends.
Make Self-Care Your Top Priority
Do you think we are doing our best work at our job when we are stressed out? Do you think we are present with our family when we are completely drained? Are we able to contribute in a generous way to our community? Can our friends feel loved and cherished? Of course not!
We have to start putting ourselves first, so that we can show up for the things that are most valuable to us, as our best selves.
Blah, Blah, Blah, I Know, But How?
I know what you’re thinking. You’ve heard this a million times, but you just don’t know where to start. It’s so overwhelming, especially when you’re already stressed out. It’s just one more thing, on a long list of to-do’s.
Start with making sleep a priority. Yes, sleep is self-care. It is one of the most basic needs of humans, yet we allow ourselves to stay up later, and get up earlier, to get more done. But, what if you had more energy to get that stuff done? Could you do more in half the time? Probably.
