Why Taking Care of Yourself is NOT Selfish

Remember the safety briefing last time you flew on an airplane?
 
It goes something like this: You’re directed to where the emergency exits are, you’re told to remain calm should the cabin experience sudden pressure loss, where upon oxygen masks will drop down from above your seat. There’ll be a demonstration of how to fit the a mask.
 
Then, here’s the crucial point:  “If you are travelling with children, make sure that you put your own mask on first before helping your children”. 
 
Well the same goes for you and your life when it comes to self care.
 
You must look after yourself IN ORDER to help others.
 
Having grown up as the ‘good girl’ among 2 brothers in a conservative family, I was always a people pleaser and, if I was to admit it to myself, I derived a sense of my own ego from being self sacrificing and looking after everyone ahead of myself.
 
This was to my detriment.
 
Later, as a Mum I’d often think of myself as a Mother Duck – prepared to put myself into harm’s way for my ducklings aka children.
 
I thought it was selfish to be different, until I came close to burning out, and I realized I was wrong and that NOT taking time out to care for myself was SELFISH.
 
I repeat if you do NOT take time out to care for yourself you are being SELFISH!
 
You are no good to anyone if you cannot be good to yourself! Charity begins at home… with you. Think of yourself being a cup. You need filling before you can overflow out to others. So you need to get out, find and DO whatever fills you up.
 
For me and many others, creating art fills me up. Drawing and painting are my time out, especially when I combine them with nature (as in the pic below of me creating a watercolour sketch of the head of the Earnslaw Burn). 

​This is what Margaret, one of my students, says:
 
 “It’s easy to let what everyone else needs take priority. Learning to draw is something I can do for me, a special place to escape to. When I take that time for me, I have a better attitude, one that is more positive to what is going on around me. When I’ve taken time out, I cope so much better with life’s challenges”
 
…and I couldn’t agree more.
 
 To a life UPLIFTED by Art

PS Want to take some time out? Why not sign up for my freebie and learn a nice, simple exercise that will give you time out and help you relax and let go.

Author

Joanne Deaker helps others: reconnect with their inner self through arts therapy; relax and see beauty through observational drawing and/or enhance and uplift the mood of living spaces.

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