Have you ever reached Sunday evening and just felt plain exhausted? You want to feel ready, rested, and prepared for the next week but you simply don't. Have you ever looked at your schedule and simply felt tired just by looking at it? Both of these scenarios are results of burn out. In a perfect world, we all have enough time to check all of the boxes and feel great about every aspect of our lives. Sadly, this rarely happens and we usually put ourselves (mental health) as the last box to be checked off. We put everyone else's needs before our own and over compensate for what is left to be made up. The world around us profits off of convenience and what takes the least amount of time to do. People are working more along with not have clear boundaries with work and home thanks to our smart phones and laptops. You may have found yourself missing your workout, breakfast, or bed time all due to filling up everyone else's cup.
This is where the conversation changes to focus on filling up your cup. This all starts by asking yourself what you need out of your day or week and what will help you make the most available to others. Often times we spend a lot of energy focusing on how to help our friends, the company we work for, our family, neighbors, etc and forget about ourselves. An analogy that I always really liked was "make a plate full of food as if you were giving it to your friend". This describes treating yourself as if you would a friend. We give and give to those we love but what about ourselves? This has been an interesting conversation regarding the topic of self love and self care. Fortunately these topics are becoming more trendy in the media as the idea of self care has become more popular. Remember that saying no is one of the most powerful tools we have as humans. As someone who has codependent tendencies, I know how hard it can be to put your needs first when others need help or are not in a good spot. This is where the cup of energy gets filled though. Every time we tend to our own garden, the more fruits we are able to produce.
Ask yourself today and every day, "What can I do today that will help me be the best version of myself?".
Love always,
Kare
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