Self-Care: You Have Permission to be Happy… Now Do Something About It
“After I finish the dishes and the kids are in bed, I wanna soak in the tub.”
the voice inside your head… “But I need to fold the laundry and put it away.”
“Over my lunch break, I’m going to take a walk outside.”
the voice inside your head… “But the dry cleaning is ready and we’re out of milk and bread.”
Long story short…
Those tub soaks, strolls in the park, or whatever it is that makes you happy, are rarely a part of your daily routine because someone or something else needs your attention.
Well sister, I’ve got news for you.
Life might be tossing around a crap-ton of changes right now, but that’s not one of them. There will always be someone or something that needs your attention. Let’s call it, “job security”, shall we?
As women, we are so good at taking care of others. Why do we struggle so much to take care of ourselves?
Why is it so hard to give yourself permission to do the things that make you happy and bring you joy?
It is because we are natural nurturers. Our innate tendencies are to care for those around us. It’s like an internal switch that we can’t shut off. Rumor has it we might have some other “internal switches” we can manipulate at will. They’re probably not wrong.
Women, like you, ask me all the time…
“How do I give myself permission to properly care for myself without feeling guilty? How do I get my family to understand why my self-care is necessary for me and them?”
I get it.
When you go into the bathroom and lock the door for some quiet time in the tub, you sense your husband’s frustration because he either wasn’t invited or you’ve left him alone with the kids… or maybe both.
You hear the rowdy of your kids throughout the house. Your mind is overwhelmed with how fast you can get dressed and get to your family before the paramedics or local fire squad arrive.
We’re always making a plan, aren’t we? The intent of those plans is typically to meet the needs and demands of everybody else.
Sister, it’s time to make plans to meet some of your own needs. It’s called self-care. You don’t have to go crazy. Just pick one thing that you enjoy doing and find a way to incorporate it into your day.
You will notice a gradual shift in your intentions when these simple acts of self-care become a consistent part of your daily routine.
In last week’s blog, I fully disclosed the attributes that yours truly openly displays when I put self-care on the back burner. It ain’t pretty, sister.
Not only am I “off”, but so is my family. And it shows.
When you neglect to properly care for yourself, it has a negative effect on those around you, as well.
When you give yourself permission to enjoy the things that feed your soul and make you a better person, the people in your life will notice.
Not only will they realize the difference in you, they will also recognize the indirect effect it has on them.
In a nutshell, when you take better care of yourself, you’re able to take better care of others. And it shows. Girl, they’ll be begging you to go take a bath, take a nap, or take a hike (that last one is open for interpretation).
As women, you set the tone in your home.
When we’re happy, they’re happy. The opposite is also true.
What kind of tone are you setting for those around you – family, co-workers, team members, etc.? Is your current tone screamin’ for a little self-love?
Think about one simple act of self-care that you could incorporate into this week’s schedule… just one.
If you would like some accountability (and the opportunity to flex a little vulnerability) with this, I invite you to head on over to our Facebook community and share how you plan to love on yo’ self this week in today’s post.
Remember, your family is counting on it.
