What are You Willing to do for You?

Oftentimes in our lives, we become so caught up in what we can do to help others that we neglect ourselves. Now please don’t misunderstand, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a heart for service, but when do we make ourselves a priority in our lives? Are you putting forth your best effort, or is the quality of your work lessened by your inability to take care of yourself?

Yes, I’m talking to you. You, the single parent struggling to take care of your child. Grinding each day to ensure that there is food for your child to eat, a roof over its head, and trying your best to make sure that at the end of it all, you have quality time to spend with your bundle of joy. I’m talking to the stressed-out college student working multiple jobs and staying up all hours of the night to make your family proud. I’m talking to any person that has ever accomplished anything in their lifetime. When will you take care of you? How many more days will you spend beating yourself up because you’re too exhausted to do anything, but you’ve overfilled your schedule to keep others happy? How many more times will you put yourself on the backburner before you realize that you’ve run out of things to give? I’ll answer for you, never again.

Today I’m going to present to you a list of 5 things that you can do keep your batteries fully charged and ensure that you are truly able to give 100% in your everyday life. Keep in mind that this list is only a framework and that it’s up to you to fill in the blanks and choose what course of action would be best for you.

1. Take time out for YOU.

This may be the hardest step of all for some people. You’ll probably come up with a million excuses as to why you can’t stop and make time for yourself, but when it all comes down to it, they are still only excuses. Most people don’t take this simple step until their health has begun depleting, or they are in even more dire straits. Start now, and start small if that makes you more comfortable. Even if you’re only able to spare an hour or two, make enough room in your day to spend some quality time with yourself.

2. Spend your time with yourself.

Now I know what you’re probably thinking. You’ve already put a few things to the side to make time for yourself. Now I’m asking you to spend this time alone? Well, you’re absolutely right. Before you can expect to be good company to anyone else, you must first enjoy the company of yourself. I know that this may prove to be a bit difficult, but over time I have learned that it is necessary. There have been plenty of times that I have struggled to enjoy my own company. Sometimes, I’m pretty boring! But that’s where learning yourself comes in.

3.Learn YOU.

Throughout our lives we’ve jumped through many hoops for many people to keep them happy. Over time you learn people and figure out what is needed to satisfy them and that is a wonderful skill to learn, but we should also utilize this skill for ourselves. After you’ve taken some time to spend with yourself, and made sure that you’re spending this time by yourself, it is so important to use this time to learn yourself. We learn ourselves through others every single day, but when do we sit back and truly evaluate these things for ourselves? As I said before, even I have encountered times where I didn’t enjoy my company, but after learning what makes me happy, I have found that my quality time with myself has vastly improved in quality and I feel happier overall.There is a lot that you can learn from yourself if given the opportunity. Perhaps use your newfound, “me time” to draft a list of things you enjoy doing and the next time you have some, “me time” to enjoy, select an activity from your list and let loose.

4. Don’t forget to cater to your spirit.

Here lately, I have enjoyed meditation. Simply sitting and reflecting on my day, or even my week has given me the ability to know exactly what it is I need to ask of God to feel peace. And even if I have nothing to ask for, I use my meditation time to give thanks for the simple fact that there is nothing I feel that I’m lacking. Perhaps meditation isn’t your style, in which case you could utilize some good old fashioned prayer. Maybe religion simply doesn’t appeal to you and the idea of it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. Have no fear! Simply taking some time to enter a period of reflection on your life can be enlightening. Whatever you choose to do, just make sure you nurture your spirit.

5.Treat yourself.

Admit it, after a long day at work, you’re tired. That’s just it. You. Are. Tired. It happens. The solution is not to continue pushing yourself until you can push no more. The solution is REST. It’s always good to nurture your spirit and mind, but sometimes, a good nap is all you need. Allow yourself this simple pleasure. Maybe you don’t even feel sleepy. Maybe you’re just sore. Use some of the money that you’ve been torturing yourself to obtain to pay for a spa day. Even if you don’t go to the most lavish massage parlor in town, treat yourself with a nice bubble bath, or DIY facial.

Never ignore the warning signs that your body is in need of a break. Whenever you feel yourself being drained, it’s perfectly fine to take a step back and work on yourself before jumping back into the game. If you need a little more of a push in the right direction, here are a few websites to help you get started.

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