If you care so much about others and forget about yourself, you can begin to take a physical and mental toll. Sure, prioritizing your needs over those of others is tricky, especially if you have a family; that is, you are a mother and wife. Nevertheless, remember that you can’t pour out from an empty cup. For this reason, you need to learn how to prioritize yourself and your needs even as you handle your family’s needs.
So how can you manage to prioritize your needs?
Don’t Feel Guilty
Guilt is a common reason for neglecting self needs. Every time you try to do something good for yourself, a strong voice in your head tells you that you are being selfish. With this guilt lingering in your head, you may end up exhausting yourself until you are no longer in a position to help others.
Therefore, convince yourself that setting aside some time and money to care for your needs does not make you selfish. Instead, consider this a rejuvenation method to help you continue taking care of others.
Be Careful With Social Media
Although social media helps you stay connected to your friends and relatives, it can be your enemy in some instances. On one hand, spending too much time on social media robs you of time you may have spent taking care of yourself or spending with your family.
On the other hand, social media can make you feel like a loser when you spend a lot of time seeing photos of your friend’s success. Remember that your friends’ posts are a crop of only the best part of their lives. To help you take care of your emotions, avoid spending too much time looking at such photos on social media.
Dedicate Time to Yourself Every Day
Don’t wait for a time that you can use for personal care will come on its own. Think about your many responsibilities and how much you long for more hours to do the unhandled tasks. You will realize that unless you set time for self-care, your responsibilities will not allow you to have any time for yourself.
Therefore, set aside some time, for instance when the kids are asleep, and your husband is not yet home. Use this time to do what makes you relax. Having at least 15-30 minutes a day for your self needs highly boosts your health and morale.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping for the recommended hours is not a sign of laziness. Some women feel like they have too much to have that they cannot afford to sleep throughout the night. Failure to get enough sleep will lead to poor performance in your home and work duties and eventually cause health issues. Therefore, take care of yourself by ensuring that you have about 7-8 hours each day asleep.
Stop Trying to Continue Supporting Others When You Are Empty
Although it is good to be a selfless human, forgetting yourself can have both physical and emotional effects. Therefore, it is time to ‘put your own oxygen mask on’ and remember that you are also a priority. Taking time for yourself and doing what you love also recharges you and helps you take of others.
Sources: Shine, Jody Michaels Association, Barre Body, Tony Robbins, Psychology Today, Self, gen twenty
