Quarantine Has Taught Me That It’s OK to Take Care of Myself
Spend a little time with yourself during this quarantine.
Time. It's something that I think we all want, waste, miss, need, etc. There never seems to be enough of it to go around. Well, in the last few weeks I've looked around and realized that we've got time. It's the worst way to get time, but it is here.
And I don't know about you, but I don't want to waste it.
Something about these last couple of weeks has made want to work on me. I've felt an urgency to put myself on a schedule and start establishing some healthy habits. Habits that I told myself that I was too busy for. Now, I'm not perfect and I still find myself binge watching on the couch from time to time. However, I feel like this time at home is a gift.
I've learned that it's OK to take care of myself.
My world is not going to come crashing down because I spent 30 minutes workout out in the garage. I will still have time to watch an episode of my favorite show even though I decided to take a walk after dinner. I maybe won't have time to watch three episodes, but one is plenty anyway. And I've also been learning that being on social media or playing games on my phone is truly sucking up all of my time and energy.
I hope that we all learn to spend a little time with ourselves while in quarantine. I know many of us are going stir crazy or our kids are officially on our last, last nerve. But I want to encourage you to find your rhythm. Take a second to step back and see things from the outside looking in. Set up a schedule for yourself and for your family that ensures you have a little time for you.
If you can show up well for yourself in those moments, you will show up better in every other aspect of your life.
A few months ago, I heard the analogy of the glass water pitcher. The pitcher is being filled with water and it consistently tries to tip over and fill the glasses around it. Eventually the pitcher topples over and breaks. However, if the pitcher would stand firm, receiving that water fully, eventually that water would overflow into the glasses. You are the pitcher. The glasses are your spouse, your kids, your job, the house, your friends, etc.
Carve out some "me time" and allow yourself to be filled, so that you may pour into others.