Love Yourself, Too!

Wow, being a parent, grandparent or educator today is tough. Are we super heroes that can do it all with a smile? Amazingly enough, we usually do, but when we crash, we crash hard.

Most of us have so many priorities it is hard to manage them all. Our mental and physical well-being is usually buried on the bottom of the pile. However, we need to stop and think about our placement in our lives and in the lives of others. We need to realize what it takes to keep us moving gleefully forward.

Does your day begin when your feet hit the floor and end when you can barely climb into bed? Or do you take time during the day to give yourself even the slightest of pampering? Have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if we ran ourselves until we were sick? What about if we just got sick and tired and lost our zest?

So many people depend on you. That is a lot of responsibility. If you try to do everything well, then you are definitely deserving of pampering. Although people may offer suggestions as to what would make you feel refreshed, you are truly the only one who can answer that. Most people feel they just don’t have time to give themselves a break. If that is you, you may want to rethink that thought.

Studies show that stress causes far more problems than a headache or momentary irritation. Stress can be life altering. And, guess what? For the most part, it can be avoided or controlled! By whom, you might ask? YOU! You are the only one who knows your limits. You know when you are reaching too far or pushing too hard. You also know when you need that down time. So, do yourself and others around you a favor and take a break!

First, determine what you find pleasing and relaxing. It may be exercise, reading a few chapters out of the book that has been on your dresser for months, baking that delicious looking cake you found in the magazine, or listening to your favorite music with your headphones firmly attached to your ears! Whatever it is, that is your first quest. Find something that clears your mind and relaxes you. To achieve success, you are probably going to have to find something that is easily available, flexible in timing and requires little effort on your part to utilize. For example, you choose to sew as your relaxation time, it probably won’t be effective if you have to take out your sewing machine each time you want to use it, sort and sift through bundles of material that got piled together and then begin the search for the proper needle and thread. Try to have the necessary equipment readily available so when you begin your quest for peace that it doesn’t cause you more work.

Of course the ideal situation would be to allot yourself a set schedule everyday for just you. The reality of that though is pretty slim. Be open to grabbing the moments as your day progresses. When all else fails just stop what you are doing and take that much deserved break! You will find that giving yourself those few precious moments a day will energize you. Once energized, you will have more of yourself to give to those around you.