[Daily OM]: We have all heard the instructions
of an airline attendant reminding us to put on our own oxygen mask
before we help anyone else with theirs. This advice is often cited as a
metaphor for self-care because it so accurately expresses why it is
important. It seems to say, ironically, that if you can't take care of
yourself for yourself, do it for others. Few situations in our daily
lives mimic the wake-up call of an airplane emergency, so it's easy to
keep putting self-care off -- easy, that is, until we get sick,
overwhelmed, or exhausted, and suddenly don't have the energy to care
for the people who count on us. That's when we realize we haven't been
getting the oxygen we need to sustain ourselves. We begin to understand
that taking care of ourselves is neither selfish nor indulgent; it's
just plain practical.
Putting yourself first means that it may be necessary to say no to
someone else in order to say yes to yourself. For many of us, there is
always something we feel we could be doing for someone else, and it
helps to remember the oxygen metaphor. You can even encourage yourself
by saying "I am caring for myself so that I am better able to care for
others" or some other mantra that will encourage you. It also helps to
remember that self-care doesn't have to be composed of massively
time-consuming acts. In fact, the best prescription for taking care of
yourself is probably small, daily rituals; for example, taking one
half-hour for yourself at the beginning and end of the day to meditate,
journal, or just be. You might also transform the occasional daily
shower or bath into a half-hour self-pampering session.
Whatever you decide, making some small gesture where you put yourself
first every day will pay off in spades for you and the ones you love.
The oxygen you need is all around you; sometimes you just need to be
reminded to breathe.
Welcome to "A Light In The Darkness" - a realm that explores the mysterious and the occult; the paranormal and the supernatural; the unexplained and the controversial; and, not forgetting, of course, the conspiracy theories; including Artificial Intelligence; Chemtrails and Geo-engineering; 5G and EMR Hazards; The Global Warming Debate; Trans-Humanism and Trans-Genderism; The Covid-19 and mRNA vaccine issues; The Ukraine Deception ... and a whole lot more.