Self Care Is Not Selfish!!
Good morning Ladies! I hope you are well, and have woken with an open mind. Today is going to be a topic that most of us are intimidated to even venture to consider. So, as we discuss this I hope you stay gentle with yourself and remember you are worth it.
Let's stop leaving ourselves behind.
Have you noticed that we often forget to consider ourselves in general? As women, we are natural caretakers and have a heart for others. We want to ensure everyone is taken care of, especially women who are mothers! The beautiful act of taking care of others has consumed us though. It's become a toxic act for ourselves, even if it's such a wonderful action.
Considering yourself first is not selfish.
I want to stop you before your thoughts consume you! That statement is true, I promise. Our minds will convince ourselves otherwise though, so we need to be careful. It's so intimidating to even consider that we could put ourselves first in this life, but it's going to change your life. If you are willing, I have some ideas that might help you take that first step towards living a life for yourself.
Step 1: Reflect on who you are.
You aren't going to be able to make any changes if you aren't giving yourself time to get to know yourself! As women, we are so busy taking care of others that we don't ask ourselves the same questions. Have you asked yourself what you would like to do today? Have you asked yourself if you are hydrating yourself, and staying healthy? I bet you haven't. So this first step includes sitting down and asking yourself what you truly want your life to look like.
Step 2: Making a plan.
Once you have set the standard for yourself, you can move onto making a plan for how to implement your new life. This may include setting aside time for yourself in the morning, or removing something from your life. This may look like quitting a job that was consuming your mental energy. This step is unique, just as your journey is unique to you. The most important thing for this step is to remember that pursuing you is not selfish.
Step 3: Boundaries.
You now have a plan that you are starting to walk out, and this is going to most likely going to ruff some feathers. You are putting yourself first for the first time in so long! People are going to notice, especially if you are removing toxic items from your life. You may have quit the job, or stopped going to the bar that was taking all your money. This is going to have an impact on your relationships, I'm sure! Keep the boundaries and stand by what you want. This is important for your unique life.
Step 4: Remember your worth.
This process of reinventing your life to actually work for you is going to be tough. You are going to realize how much mental energy you were giving that you now have back. You are going to experience people pushing back, as mentioned above. The thing to remember is that you are worth it. The whole reason you are pursuing you in this moment is because you were feeling so drained! You don't want to go back, which means the only next step is forward.
Be proud yourself.
I hope that these ideas have helped to stir up something real for you today! We need to be willing to take those steps to live the life we truly want. There is no one else that is going to pick us up and make us do them but ourselves. We are responsible for living how we want to live. I am proud of you for pursuing you today!
Emily.