The Importance of Taking “You” Time

Showing yourself some love:

Often, we are able to support and find compassion for others during a struggle. We see solutions, step in to help or offer solutions where we can.

Somehow, it can be easier to recognize that someone else is struggling with a heavy load and offer assistance and yet to ask for help ourselves, we perceive it as a sign of weakness….

What then, is this phenomenon? Why are so many of us so hard on ourselves to the point that we ignore the warning signs our body may be giving us?

Tuning in to ourselves is a critical step in finding and achieving balance in our lives. Vibrant health, quality of life, abundant energy and overall wellbeing will continue to be elusive if we don’t tune in and change our lifestyle.

Disharmony and Imbalance:

It’s possible that you may have come to the realization that your mood, your energy, enthusiasm or behaviour has taken a rather negative turn (or that someone close to you has voiced their opinion…) – these are some of the most common indicators that your life is out of balance on at least one level.

For those of you with children or even pets, we often use the strategy of a “time out” for unacceptable behaviours or outbursts. This space (we hope), offers a cool off period to reflect or consider solutions to resolve the situation or to diffuse the trigger for negative behaviours (at the very least, regain some control).

As a Mom, I remember several occasions, having felt so overwhelmed that I would have been so grateful if someone could have given me a time out to compose myself. Days where as hard as I tried, I wasn’t happy with how I handled situations and let emotion prevail and reign over my parenting skills.

Why did I occasionally feel and behave in ways that I was less than proud of while navigating the amazing journey of parenthood? For each of us their may be many reasons – lack of sleep, not eating well, too many demands and not a lot of life experience or skills to handle some of the demands, too little support, perhaps financial strains – I’m sure many people would tick most of these boxes when they aren’t coping well.

Life is like that – not just raising children, but perhaps in the workplace in some other caregiver role or in your relationships or friendships with others. We are human and our shortcomings tend to surface when our self care takes the back seat.

Selfcare is NOT selfish:

Each of us need to recognize and accept that selfcare is not selfish and asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Recognizing our needs and seeking assistance are qualities that will allow us to optimize our potential, enhance our relationships and enrich our experiences in life.
When you treat yourself with the care and respect you would share with others you love, you demonstrate that you are deserving of and expect to be treated with that same love and respect.

“Me time” is important – taking the time to do things you truly enjoy and that bring you pleasure and allow you to express yourself as an individual is so important. Mental, emotional and spiritual needs are equally as important as our physical needs for overall health and wellbeing. We also need to be creative and have a sense of belonging.

Quality, nutrient dense foods, adequate water, sleep, exercise, healthy relationships, a sense of purpose and sense of community, safety and shelter are all part of our basic needs – but sometimes we need a bit more.

You may benefit from supplementing with a B-Complex Vitamin, L-Theanine, Reishi Mushroom, Ashwagandha, Vitamin D3 or Magnesium to name a few options.

A nutritional consult, professional guidance or supplements may all be a part of getting you back on track. I am honoured to help guide you in optimizing your selfcare decisions. Let your visions of health become your reality!