Take Care of Yourself First!

Taking care of you first is a foreign concept to many that were taught from a young age that serving others should be the priority. Many feel that doing for yourself first is selfish and this idea promotes guilt and can be detrimental in all aspects of your life.

Imagine your body as a gas-powered machine. What happens if you don’t refuel on a regular basis? When all the fuel is depleted, the machine ceases to run and is not good for any purpose. Refueling your body and mind is essential to good health.

There have been innumerable studies done on people in business, homemakers, and others, all showing that self-care is not only necessary for the individual, but for all the people they come in contact with. Studies have also shown that those that give only to others eventually are in need of help themselves, which then seems to defeat the purpose of giving.

Taking care of yourself is the least selfish thing you can do. It will make you feel more alive, vibrant, and ready to face challenges. Self-care can come in many forms from very small, such as five minutes of quiet meditation, to very grand like cruising the Mediterranean.

Finding time for you may seem difficult at first, but like any other habit, just keep doing it until it is second nature. Pick things that easily fit into your life, and please, don’t stress over those decisions. It won’t take long for you to see the benefits and to actually look forward to finding new ways to treat yourself.

The catch is to find things that make you happy. It may be that hour long bubble bath, a walk at the end of the day, yoga, playtime with your dog, making a healthy lunch daily, playing an instrument, and of course, booking a massage.