Can you remember the last time you felt truly refreshed, at ease and centred? Are you feeling like you’re running on empty?
Maybe you feel like that you can never switch off; juggling work commitments with the endless to-do list in the eternal hope that tomorrow will be a better day?
Do you start each week with the best of intentions but see that early night, yoga session or “me time” slip away with each passing day?
Would you love to create a little more space just for you, find a little more calm and feel more grounded?
Well, then why is it so hard to do?
It might be that you don’t see the value of it. Perhaps you think that by keeping driving past the tiredness you might try again tomorrow – hoping for another brighter, better day?
It might also be because you are surrounded by people doing the same thing so “running on empty” becomes the norm?
Maybe you are a caregiver to the young or the old in your life (or may be both) and it feels like you just don’t have the time to care for yourself?
Here’s the rub folks – I hear this all the time in clinic, working with busy professionals like you. After a while, the body starts to let you know that all is not well. Those late nights, early starts, under nourishing and overindulging in box sets or take away (as you’re too exhausted to cook) show up in the form of weight gain, hormonal symptoms and gut discomfort. You find yourself staring into the fridge when you’re meant to be loading the dishwasher or writing everything down for fear of forgetting some vital fact!
There is a reason why you are told to put our own oxygen mask on first in a plane. You cannot help those around you if you’re lacking vital life-supporting oxygen.
Well, the same is true of your self-care. By stopping, observing and making small, daily changes you can start to gently restore the balance. By paying attention to your sleep, your daily movement, your thoughts – you can actually be more present in that meeting, more patient with your child or simply kinder in the way you speak to yourself.
The best place to start is simply with taking a gentle, loving approach and being OK with where you are right now. By taking time to rest, restore and renew you will feel much more able to tackle that new task.
The body truly does hold the score - you cannot pour from an empty cup. Take time out to look after yourself. Do something today for which your future self will thank you.