I definitely believed the myth that self-care was a luxury and that it could be done when I had finished achieving what I wanted to achieve. Unfortunately, I was always on to the next achievement and it never got done. It was definitely not a priority for me to think about my health or mental well-being.
I once went to a conference with pneumonia because I was a speaker. It never occurred to me that I shouldn’t go. I had committed and I didn’t want to disappoint them or myself. My husband was so mad! He tried to explain to me that bad things could happen in the air, but I heard none of it.
How crazy is that?
I look back on this story and try to hear what was going on in my mind.
- “No excuses, Holly”
- “You will look bad if you cancel”
- “You’re not that sick”
- “The antibiotics will kick in soon”
- “You can rest once this is done”
Here’s the funny part. I don’t even remember which conference this was or what topic I was speaking about. I just remember that I went when I was really sick. At the time, I was really proud of that and looked at myself as the hero.
Now I look at it and think, “that wasn’t very smart”. I’m fortunate that nothing bad happened.
Your stories around self care might not be so dramatic, but I bet you put off doctor’s appointments and other forms of self care because you have too much to do.
If this is you, I’m telling you right now that self-care is a necessity and needs to be a priority in your life. You cannot be as productive as you want to be if you don’t take care of the body that you’ve been given.
So what can you do right now to start prioritizing your health and well being?
- Schedule your annual check up and promise yourself you won’t reschedule it
- Experiment with ways to get more sleep…at least 7-9 hours a night
- Figure out how to prioritize the activities or hobbies that you love to do (to fill up your battery)
- Pay attention to your body and any signs that it is giving you that something might be amiss
- Start taking some walks without the electronics throughout the day
Society and our family of origin has programmed us that we are lazy if we put our well being before work. It’s a myth my friend. You are not lazy if you take care of yourself. You will be way more productive than you ever thought when you prioritize your health and well being.
Want to discuss this more? Feel free to email me at ho***@ho*********.com.
