It’s time to make yourself a priority
Do you tend to put everyone before yourself?
If so, you aren’t alone.
Most women have the mentality that they need to put everyone above themselves. But that’s just not true!
Yes, we need to care for others (especially kids) but that does not mean you come last.
Caring for others actually means you need to come first.
You have to make yourself a priority in order to take care of others.
Prioritizing ourselves can be hard, especially as women.
When I started prioritizing my health and wellness, I felt guilty. I felt like I should be doing something for others instead of making the time for myself.
Prioritizing yourself can be even more difficult when you have kids or, like me, are in the helping profession.
I could make the excuse that I need to be focusing on my work and the people I help, not myself. But I remind myself that in order to help others at my best, I need to take care of myself.
As I’ve learned to prioritize myself, I have learned some things that make prioritizing myself easier.
- Schedule your time.
Your time is important and limited. You probably feel like you don’t have time for yourself.
You have to make the time.
If you want your well-being to be a priority, you have to make it a priority. The time won’t magically fit into your schedule (although that would be really nice 😉 ).
Whatever you need to take care of yourself, put it in your schedule.
When I started trying to improve my wellness, I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted because I wasn’t making it a priority. Everything else came before my wellness: my relationships, school, work.
As I started scheduling my time, I started to see a shift in how I felt. I started to feel good in my skin!
I started scheduling time to do a home workouts or go to the gym. I started planning my meals to align with the time I had during the day.
I saw my confidence and relationships grow tremendously when I started making me a priority.
Most women believe they will lose their relationships and other responsibilities when they prioritize themselves, but the opposite is actually true!
- Communicate your plan and intention.
Some people in your life may not understand your increased interest in taking care of yourself, others will applaud your efforts.
Of course the only opinion that really matters is yours, but you want your family and close friends on board to support you in your journey!
The way to do this is to communicate what you are doing for your wellness and why. Then they have an understanding of why you are taking care of yourself and the support you need from them.
Maybe you want to go to the gym a few days a week and you need your husband to watch the kids. Schedule it with him!
Maybe you need some alone time and need to keep the kids busy while you have your alone time. Explain to them why you need it and what you need them to do!
Make a plan and communicate it with your supports!
I make sure and let my husband know when I am planning to workout or do some type of self-care so we can make our plans around that.
Communicating your wellness plan can be intimidating at first, but it will get easier as you go.
Remember, not everyone will understand and that’s okay. That’s on them.
This is your journey, not theirs.
- Ditch the guilt.
You will likely feel guilty at first for putting yourself over others and over your responsibilities.
When I started prioritizing my wellness, I felt guilty for not putting my efforts into my school work. I loved school and I was passionate about learning, but I knew I had to improve how I felt in my body.
Don’t let the guilt consume you.
Acknowledge the guilt. Accept the guilt. And work through the guilt.
It didn’t take me long to realize that putting myself first was so worth it.
The more you push through the guilt, the less it will come around.
As you learn how good taking care of yourself can feel, the benefits will outweigh the guilt.
Remind yourself of why you are taking care of yourself.
You could be doing it for your kids, or so you can feel good in your skin, or so you can feel happy again.
Whatever your reason, remember that.
You deserve to be taken care of.
You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of others.
So make an effort to do that. Do what makes you feel good and keeps you healthy.
Your body, mind, and emotions will thank you for it.
If you want to learn more about how you can prioritize yourself and your wellness, I’m hosting a 3 day challenge July 19th-21st. You don’t want to miss it! Plus, it’s free! You can join here.
