Permission to Put Yourself First
Happy May Reader,
A lot has happened since I last wrote. I moved my dad into an assisted living residence and he hasn't been adjusting well. It's been stressful. I can't tell you how hard this whole process has been. From watching him decline, to all the months of intense work leading up to the point of moving him, to his struggle with settling into the new place. Needless to say, this kind of thing can take its toll. So, before it floored me, I spent a whole day in bed.
How many women would allow themselves a day off without being fully wiped out first? But why get to that point?
As I shared in my last Museletter, I recently launched my ebook on self-care - a deeply personal story on the topic. I self-care on the regular because I've witnessed firsthand what happens when a woman doesn't make it a priority. Here's an excerpt from the book that hints at why I gave myself a full rest day.
I go on to talk about our physiology, how it contributes to women experiencing more stress than men, the epidemic levels of heart disease, depression, breast cancer, Alzheimer's, and a long list of other illnesses, including decreased life expectancy. These are the negative effects of juggling so many more balls.
And, because women are nurturers by nature, we tend to put others first and many don’t even know how to self-care. It’s not something that’s been taught or encouraged and so many struggle to even give themselves permission to ease up. But there's just no avoiding it: in order to support our wellness in this faster-paced new world, we must learn how to effectively manage modern day stress. Like women.
“A woman’s greatest challenge in learning to cope more effectively with stress is to begin caring for herself as much as she is caring for others.” ~ Dr. John Gray, Ph.D.
You've heard it many times before - we’ve got to put on the oxygen mask first before helping our neighbour. We need a full cup in order to generously share with the next person. Surviving is passé, it’s time to THRIVE, sisters.
And in the meantime, this is your permission slip to take a care day.
PS If you're new here, welcome. ❤