Practicing the unselfish art of prioritizing yourself may not be a skill you were taught at an early age but there is a difference between self care and being selfish. Sometimes the messaging we receive to be giving of ourselves, to push ourselves to the limit, be productive, and forgo our needs can be taken to an extreme in our everyday lives.
If we’re not attuned to who we are and what we want, we can start to make sacrifices that don’t just hurt or limit us, but actually negatively impact those we care for. After attending my first retreat as a newly single young mom I lied and said it was "for work" because if it was for work that was a good enough reason for my mom and ex husband to step up and watch the kids while i went away. How has this become the new norm?
I stopped telling everyone, my kids especially, that it was for anything other than my own well being and enjoyment. I have the right to that and so do they. Once I came home and realized how it made me a better mother, daughter, co parent, employee I saw how self love and self care had a trickle down effect. I was overall more patient, available and compassionate.
Now i still faced a reintegration period coming back to responsibilities and pressures and by no means was I perfect but i had a new insight, a new perspective and started making gradual changes to be more available to myself and those who truly valued me as an individual, not the title I held for them.
Comments