“Success” Isn’t Worth Your Health

A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
(Spanish Proverb)

If you say things like…

“I don’t have time to make healthy meals…I’ll just grab a bag of chips.”
“I’ve got too much on my to-do list.  I can’t remember to drink water.”
“When I try to meditate, I can’t get my to-do list out of my head.”
“My morning is too hectic to squeeze in an exercise routine.”

…you don’t see Self-Care as a priority.

When we were babies, we focused a lot of energy on getting our personal needs met.  What was personal, was a priority.  We cried when we felt uncomfortable.  And people came to feed, change, hold, and play with us.

Somewhere, perhaps in high school, we learned that Public Priorities were more important than Personal Priorities.  Do the homework, get the grades, do well in extracurricular activities, impress the boss, serve the community, wow the committee - That’s what’s important.

Who cares if your personal needs are met?  Nobody’s going to reward you for drinking 80 oz. of water, or meditating 5 minutes a day, or taking 20 minutes to exercise or make a salad - So, they seem less important.  Right?

“Babies don’t have To-Do lists,” you add.  “If I didn’t have a To-Do list, I’d have time to tend to my personal needs.”

*   *   *

It can seem as though Personal and Public priorities are at odds - that the time it takes to make a healthy meal takes away from the time you have available to answer emails, help kids with homework, and update your blog.

In reality, though…

Self-Care SUPPORTS your Public Priorities

Don’t see self-care as something that will distract from everything else you do.  See self-care as something that makes you better able to do everything else you do.

How well do you juggle all the responsibilities you have when you’ve run yourself ragged?  How much better can you satisfy everyone else’s needs when your own needs are fully met?

Sipping water throughout the day, 10 minutes of exercise just 3 times a week, focusing all your attention on your breathing for just 5 breaths a day, replacing one candy bar or can of soda with an apple each day…These will help you take care of your “tools.”

As you take care of your number one tool - YOU - you will increase your ability to do everything else that is important to you.

*   *   *

3 Quick Self-Care Tips that Won’t Overwhelm Your Schedule:

1. Link self-care to another activity - Floss while reading emails.  Do 5 slow-motion toe-touches whenever you’re zapping food in the microwave.  Take a sip of water at every traffic light.
2. Get up 5 minutes earlier - DON’T use the extra time to get a jump on your routine.  Sit straight up in your bed, and just focus on your breathing.  Pretend you’re holding a microphone to your nostrils, and your mission is to hear every breath.  A 5-breath or 5-minute breathing meditation helps you center in your BEING - you are here, you are alive - rather than spending every waking hour DOING.  You are not what you do, you simply ARE.
3. Toss an apple in your bag - Apples are high in nutrients and fiber.  They are also great appetite suppressants.  If you feel less hungry, you’re less likely to grab that cookie that you know you don’t need.

SEE THIS 3min VIDEO for more Easy, Convenient Self-Care Tips:

Tweet This Post