Do you always put yourself last?
I was discussing with my massage therapist how often people see self-care appointments like massage as “luxury” rather than standard personal care.
I notice that, especially as I get older, I have more people telling me they admire the time and energy I put into my self-care.
Why is it so noteworthy to schedule in regular massage, exercise, and fun social time? Why isn’t this just a normal thing that folks do?
If you don’t put much energy into taking care of yourself, is it because you judge yourself as selfish?
If so, we desperately need to do some new programming.
New programming installing now….
When you spend time loving on yourself and giving yourself the care you need, it gets so much easier to have great boundaries and deep compassion and the ability to source joy.
People enjoy being around those who are relaxed, present, and caring. It’s not really possible to have those qualities if you’re not taking care of yourself.
When you always put yourself last, you’re heading toward an inevitable experience of overwhelm, resentment, and burnout.
You end up disliking yourself because of how you behave when you have no reserves of energy. You dislike the person (yourself) who doesn’t put love and care forward for you.
It’s past time to start living a different way. To practice putting yourself first, with love.
Three easy ways to practice putting yourself first:
1. Before you agree to anything (an event, a task, a favor), take a moment and feel into whether you ACTUALLY want to do this. If you don’t, and it’s not critical to the relationship, try saying NO.
2. Instead of asking what everyone else wants to do on an outing, pick something you would love to try and advocate for it.
3. When someone asks you to make a choice for the group, instead of saying, “I’m easy, whatever is fine,” choose what you would most like, and don’t apologize for it.
You’re worthy of being your first priority.
p.s. Want help learning how to prioritize your health and happiness?
Check out my group learning program, Soul School!