Take care of yourself – its compulsory

Take care of yourself - it'll be worth it

One of the biggest regrets people have at the end of their days is that they didn’t take better care of themselves – eat better, get more sleep, take care of their skin, pay more attention to how they physically felt in order to try to prevent the illnesses and all the aches and pains that can be experienced in old age. Don’t fall into this trap.

We all talk about it but for some reason we think we don’t deserve it or that its too indulgent. I want to share my own experience with you.
I meet people every day who complain about not having time to do things for themselves and don’t know how to protect their bodies from burnout, in every sense.
This past year I’ve gone through a lot, and it’s been comforting knowing I’m not the only one who has experienced burnout with work, personal and professional overwhelm, and sadness, overwhelming sadness; these came in and out of my life through a breakup from a relationship, saying goodbye to a place I had built a life in for 4 years, seeing my parents and their generation age, striving to find balance in my work/personal life, quitting the stable day job and starting my own business (it’s not easy!!), etc.
The support I have received here so far has been brilliant and really motivating so my goal is to give you the same you give me, inspiration to share the not-so glamorous side of things and open up more to you. This year came with huge change, sudden change that I couldn’t control but it came with a lot of personal highs and lows that I just had to let move through my life. I hope that through these tips and acts of self-care I developed, you can integrate them into your lifestyle too whenever you’re feeling a bit low or a bit overwhelmed? So let’s do this!

 Today start making those changes. Remember you will never be able to take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself first.

Make some easy changes starting today.
Self-care is not a luxury, its not spoiling yourself, its not glutinous. You have to start respecting your body, you mind and your spirit.
1. Take naps – they are medicinal, healing and empowering.
2. Take a day off – stay in bed late, take a long shower, cook something delicious, watch TV or read for the day.
3. Take a day away from phones, computers, Facebook, Instagram, TV..everything that’s wired or charged!! Charge yourself instead! Being present is something we’ve no idea how to do anymore. We are either living in the past or worrying about the future. I have to remind myself every minute of the day to be present and that takes practice. The present moment is all we have. Take it and take care of it.
4. Go for a massage, a facial, a sauna, or a blow-dry! Its not indulgent, its time out.
5. Do something you LOVE. Take 5 minutes to write down what you love doing and make a conscious effort to do something regularly. Whether that is to meditate, listen to your favourite song everyday and dance or buying yourself flowers!
6. Spend time with friends and family who make you laugh and you love being around. Surround yourself with people that make you smile, laugh, feel happiness, feel light, and more of those things! Be choosey, only spend time with those who don’t drain your energy and aren’t looking for someone to boost their egos. Think about who makes your happy and tell them.
Lets not regret taking care of our physical and mental health. It’ll be too late later.

4 Comments

    • Orla
      April 23, 2016 at 8:40 am

      Thanks Anto! Its not easy wearing my heart on my sleeve and especially through this medium, but I have met too many others like me who are wearing themselves out with worry, stress, upset and anxiety that I feel its time to speak up. We’ll go through the detox next week, you need to get in the headspace of no chocolate for 2 weeks then you’ll fly through it! X

  • Carmel Kelleher
    April 23, 2016 at 8:24 am

    Wonderful advice-Spiritual cleansing coming through the physical self care which in turn looks after the mental health. A three pronged fork for sure.

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