Me. myself and I

The discomfort of pouring into my cup weighed significantly higher than my extreme phobia of the dentist and the bill that inevitably comes with it.

It took a huge breakthrough of my beliefs and my extreme need to people please as my sole identity before I could begin to care for myself.

Believing everything should be hard and that I was destined to "slog my guts out" until I either died or retired at the ripe old age of 99 was a long held belief and is still a long standing running joke in the majority of aged care facilities.

I want to tell you a little secret.

The feeling you get from helping and serving someone feels a billion times better when it's given to you, by you.

You can't give from an empty cup.

An empty, stagnant cup attracts mould, flies and other unwelcome critters.

The same is true for ourselves.

When we aren't pouring into ourselves we become stagnant, bitter, overwhelmed and burnt out. We develop chronic illness and our self esteem goes out the window.

Start small.

Get outside for a little while.

Schedule a half day off when the kids are at school to do something for yourself once a month.

Journal

Put on a comedy.

Spend 10 minutes a day tidying up and sorting out one small drawer or spot in the house.

Write a letter and send it.

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow.

Grab a nap.

Get up and move and stretch regularly.

Book an appointment you've been avoiding.

Unsubscribe from a few emails.

Write out 3 things you're proud of and that felt good in your journal at the end of the day.

Buy some nice underwear.

Review your budget.

Ask a friend or coworker to be an accountability buddy and look to reframe and find gratitude in things and people every day.

Compliment someone every day and then sit with the compliment you chose because that compliment is how you feel about yourself.

Remember you are as worthy and deserving of receiving everything you've been giving to others.

To be able to give at the level you have been you require a top up regularly.

You take your car to be serviced and your pet to the vet. What makes them of more value than you?

Remember, the power to change lies within.

Caring is only a superpower when we truly care for ourselves, otherwise it's a trait done out of a need to be seen, acknowledged and to control our environment.