The cabin is pressurized for your comfort and security. In the unlikely event of a loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will look overhead. If you’re seated near a kid or someone needing help, secure your mask first, then help the child. You might have seen these airline safety instructions as only background noise when traveling, but let us analyze them in the context of your own aftercare.
Do you Self-Care?
Those words “secure your own mask first, then help the child,” are deep. The oxygen mask can function as a life line. And, it signifies the value of putting yourself – not only on the plane, but in your everyday life. Do you put yourself in your everyday life? Do you create time daily for your wellbeing and for your own aching? Or is it something that you do in case you only have some time left over at the end of the day? Or is it something that you book just for special events such as your birthday or Mother’s Day?
Self-Care doesn’t mean Selfish!
Does making yourself a priority rather than making others a priority; leave you feeling guilty or perhaps even selfish? If your answer is “yes” you are not alone. Women for centuries have assumed the role of nurturers. We’ve assumed that job perhaps without applying for the job. We take care of our jobs, our families, sometimes our parents, our communities and much more. That can be helpful. The issue is when we do not take care of ourselves.
Our Own Needs
But all this without focus on our own needs sets the stage for bitterness, fatigue and a nagging unfilled feeling. Therefore, and sadly, we aren’t always showing up to our own families from a place of love, but instead one of guilt and responsibility. How did this occur? We had great intentions right?
I’ve learned that until you can be there for others, you must be there on your own. You’ll have more to give when you’ve taken the opportunity to look after yourself first. Not paying attention to our health, our finances, and our psychological and spiritual well-being is detrimental to us and those who we all care about. I need to challenge you to put your oxygen mask on first! This isn’t being selfish; it just makes good sense.
Honoring your Well-Being
Ultimately, EVERYONE will benefit. Practicing good self-care might be: You spearhead carpooling with various parents so there’s a fair amount of driving for every parent. Another case of egotistical might be: You go to events with friends without letting your husband know ahead of time so he can plan different activities. Practicing good self-care might be: You inform your husband that Monday nights are sacred and you meet with your book club.
When you take time for yourself to read; to break; to find a massage; enjoy a bubble bath; to have lunch with friends; to exercise; to prepare and enjoy healthy meals; to find out more about investing; to see a favourite movie; to meditate; to set boundaries with others that are draining your energy; to make time for a favorite pastime or passion; and continue to regular appointments such as a mammogram or eye test, you’re honoring your well-being.
Self-Loving
Taking time for yourself makes you more relaxed, more resistant to illness, more individual, more concentrated and more fulfilled. Everyone around you benefits when you take care of YOU. So, give yourself permission to make improving your wellbeing a priority. When you place on your mask with self-care, you’ll quickly see improvements in your life, in addition to those you love. Doing anything replenishes and rejuvenates you’re not selfish. It’s self-loving and part of this self-care we all need to keep our happiness together and our own life.
What can you do?
Self-care activities might be physical (walking) or psychological (a day in the art museum) or spirtitual (a lengthy meditation from the water). It does not matter what you select. This will be unique to you and where you draw your inspiration for living.
- List three self-care practices you’re now performing on a weekly basis.
- Add three more self-care practices to your weekly routine.