What's love got to do with it?

If I asked you what you love most in the world, would your answer be "myself"? It should be. Especially if you take care of someone else. We do ourselves no favours by putting everything and everyone ahead of our own needs. And I don't mean we should all turn into selfish shrews, but recognise and acknowledge that placing the highest priority on our own mental and physical well being actually allows us to put greater energy and positive attention into those around us. ‘Put on your own oxygen mask first’ holds true even when we’re on the ground. In fact, it’s the foundational aspect of keeping us grounded in the most important sense - calm, energetic and radiating positivity.

Cultivating love and compassion for ourselves requires both intention and attention. And that starts with the self-belief that we are worth the time and effort.

When was the last time you can honestly say you acknowledged your own well-being with purposeful action? A small gesture, purely for yourself, which reminded you that you’re amazing - smiled at yourself in the mirror, took some quiet time to expand your mind, cut yourself some slack against a tough set of tasks, took some deep breaths of fresh morning air, fixed yourself a truly nourishing meal or snack? If your answer is not “today” then there is some work to be done.

I get that putting priority on yourself seems selfish. I get that somewhere in the recesses of your mind (possibly not even the especially dusty ones) there is a voice that worries that the people you care about will think you’re not giving enough time / energy / concern to their needs. I get that there is a slightly competitive element (often poorly disguised as empathy) to being the most stressed / over-worked / exhausted person in a conversation.

But hear this: to be the rock that others need you to be your foundations cannot be built on quicksand (or quick sugar fixes, for that matter).

Investing in your wellness - your regular sense of calm, your consistent energy and your freedom from symptom burden - is worth your time and effort.

If you’re ready to put priority on yourself then do get in touch to talk to me about the health you want; whether you need a manageable strategy to get your groove back or you've got long term health issues that you'd like to see the back of. Spending 20 minutes telling me what you want to achieve for your health won’t cost you a thing and it might just be the first step to changing your life.

In the meantime, be kind to yourself. It's been a hell of a year.

Wishing you the very best Christmas cheer!