Daily Self-Care
by Madisyn Taylor
We have
all heard the instructions of an airline attendant reminding us to put on our
own oxygen mask before we help anyone else with theirs. This advice is often
cited as a metaphor for self-care because it so accurately expresses why it is
important. It seems to say, ironically, that if you can’t take care of yourself
for yourself, do it for others. Few situations in our daily lives mimic the
wake-up call of an airplane emergency, so it’s easy to keep putting self-care
off—easy, that is, until we get sick, overwhelmed, or exhausted, and suddenly
don’t have the energy to care for the people who count on us. That’s when we
realize we haven’t been getting the oxygen we need to sustain ourselves. We
begin to understand that taking care of ourselves is neither selfish nor
indulgent; it’s just plain practical.
Putting yourself first means that
it may be necessary to say no to someone else in order to say yes to yourself.
For many of us, there is always something we feel we could be doing for someone
else, and it helps to remember the oxygen metaphor. You can even encourage
yourself by saying “I am caring for myself so that I am better able to care for
others” or some other mantra that will encourage you. It also helps to remember
that self-care doesn’t have to be composed of massively time-consuming acts. In
fact, the best prescription for taking care of yourself is probably small, daily
rituals; for example, taking one half-hour for yourself at the beginning and end
of the day to meditate, journal, or just be. You might also transform the
occasional daily shower or bath into a half-hour self-pampering session.
Whatever you decide, making some small gesture where you put yourself
first every day will pay off in spades for you and the ones you love. The oxygen
you need is all around you; sometimes you just need to be reminded to breathe.
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