When was the last time you did something for yourself? I’m talking about something that was not influenced by your kids, spouse, friends, or anyone else in your life. Something that was all about YOU.
If you can’t remember, it’s totally okay. To be honest, you’re probably not alone. So many women (myself included) find it challenging to carve out time for themselves. As women, we’re taught to take care of everyone else around us first. Now, I realize this isn’t true for all women but it’s a common theme among women who are married, have kids, or take care of elderly parents.
Let’s chat about why it’s important to take care of YOU right now. Next week we’ll tackle self-care strategies and how to implement them into your life so be sure to tune in then.
Respecting Yourself
Take a minute to think about how you treat someone who you truly respect. Would you talk to them with words of discouragement or encouragement? (We’ll chat more about self-talk next week.) Would you jump in and help them when they needed it? When you treat yourself with the utmost respect that you would another human, you get to know yourself on a deeper level. You gain clarity on what you really want and not what you think you want based on what others are telling you. Living your life the way society tells you is the “right” way is not treating yourself with respect (unless it aligns with your values, of course). I’m sure most of us have done this at some point in our life. When you gain clarity on what you really want, you’re able to set your life up in a way that aligns with your values. Which leads into the next reason for taking care of you.
Realistic Expectations
When you start showing yourself more respect and get super clear on what you want, you organically begin to set up realistic expectations for yourself. Your focus shifts to the healthy habits you can fit into your life rather than rearranging your entire life to force habits into it because, well, that’s not fun. This helps you set realistic expectations. Now, you may need to make a few adjustments with your schedule to squeeze in 2-3 workouts during the week. For example, if you can’t (or don’t want to) workout in the morning but you want to start exercising regularly, find times during your week that work for you. Maybe you have 30-minutes when you get home from work where you can squeeze in a 20-minute at home workout. Or go for a walk after dinner with your family rather than watching a show. There are ways to get creative.
When you set up realistic expectations for your own life (and not anyone else’s) you’ll experience more success and learn how to celebrate your small wins. For me, packing my gym bag the night before is something to celebrate because it makes my mornings so much more relaxed. It gives me more time to read and enjoy my morning coffee, which is part of my self-care routine.
Respecting yourself proves that you’re worthy and deserving of the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.
Increased Confidence
When you start taking care of yourself, you organically begin to feel more confident in your own body. The small wins I just mentioned? Each and every one of these is going to give you a boost of confidence. Some will be small and others will be big. Each of these wins, no matter how big or small, will motivate you to keep moving forward. You may not notice it in the moment but the motivation is there. You just need to trust the process.
When your self-confidence is higher, you naturally feel like you deserve more. You’re more likely to stick to what you define as healthy lifestyle habits: frequent movement, nutrient-dense foods, plenty of rest, and most importantly, indulging in life’s simple pleasures (chocolate and wine anyone?).
More Energy
There might be seasons in life when you feel exhausted all the time. If you’ve just given birth, your adorable, tiny new roommate might be a challenge to get used to (it’s good thing she’s super cute!). If you have a deadline at work, you might be working long hours to not only get a project done, but do it well. If you’re planning a wedding, getting together all the details for your special day might feel like a part (or full) time job. When you prioritize your self-care during these times, you’ll have the energy you need to power through this time in your life.
Even during the seasons in your life that are busy, but not crazy busy, you’ll experience more consistent energy levels when you focus on your self-care. I’m not saying every day is going to be filled with energy levels that keep you moving like the Energizer® Bunny all day long but you can experience more days like this when you do than when you don’t. Eating nutritious meals, drinking plenty of water, and laughing are all things that can help you feel alive and energetic. This leads us to the next reason to prioritize your self-care…
Better Moods
Those times when your anxiety is at its peak, you’re snapping at your hubby (or kids) for no reason, or you feel like your world is crumbling around you can be few and far between when you make yourself a priority in your life.
As women, we can be very skilled at saying everything is good even though on the inside we’re about to lose our shit because we spilled a glass of water. I know you’ve been there because I’ve been there, too. When there’s a dumpster fire going on inside of you it’s okay to admit it. This will help you let the emotions flow so you can move on.
Once you grab the fire extinguisher and put out the dumpster fire, it’s time to replace the “everything is good when it actually isn’t” skill with one that makes you an expert at carving out time for yourself on a daily basis. We’ll dive into the nitty gritty about how to do this next week. I promise you it can be done with time and a lot of patience (and maybe some wine or whiskey), which I know you have deep down inside (the patience, not the wine or whiskey).
Once you master the self-care skill, you’ll notice you’re in a better mood more often. This will help you overcome challenges that come up and become more resilient. You’ll find yourself bouncing back faster after a set back. You’ll feel your anxiety melting away and become more optimistic about your future. Your relationships will improve and you won’t need to apologize as often for yelling at your hubby because he didn’t put the toilet seat down.
Better moods naturally lead to our next reason…
Efficient Fat Loss
One skill to be mastered that often gets overlooked when you’re wanting to lose weight is managing your stress levels and keeping your cortisol in check. This can be the missing link in your fat loss puzzle.
You’ll always have stressors in your life which this is actually a good thing. Your body actually needs cortisol (your stress hormone) to thrive. Cortisol in combination with serotonin helps your body wake up in the morning. Plus, when you’re actually in a life threatening situation, cortisol protects you by helping you react effectively. So, we want a healthy level of cortisol that keeps us alert but not too much to where we’re always feeling like we’re on edge. When this happens your body automatically goes into protection mode and keeps any extra fat on you to make sure you’re good to go at any time. It’s your body’s way of keeping you alive in moments of distress.
When your stress levels are at a healthy level, your body feels more relaxed and wants to let go of any excess fat it’s holding onto to keep you thriving and not just surviving.
Improve Your Overall Health
Taking care of yourself by doing all the things (eating whole foods, relaxing, taking a hot bath, sleeping, etc.) lowers your chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases. Creating lifestyle habits that focus on self-care before going through menopause is super important. The hormone estrogen is important in protecting you from heart related issues. Since your estrogen levels drop significantly during menopause, having self-care habits in place can help prevent heart disease post menopause.
What’s your number one reason for taking care of YOU?
If you’ve been part of my community for a while (or have worked with me one-on-one), you already know I’m a big fan getting clear on your Why. So, if you wanted to make self-care a priority in your life today, what would be your motivation?