Are You Nurturing Your Needs?
Sometimes you are called to slow down and listen to the internal messages, the ones 
from your heart, body & mind.
Too often though, you can become externally focused, consuming more & more of ‘other’ dialogues, drowning out your own.
And as you do this you begin to shift away from your core, disconnecting from the source within and, over time, forget the importance of nurturing your needs.
Is it any wonder then you become exhausted, overrun with outside focused thinking & actions, often leading to burnout and ill-health?
What can you do to get back to self-care as a priority?
- Raise Self-Awareness
Make time to listen to yourself on a daily basis and notice what is happening to your physical self through the emotions and actions you are taking. Start observing your behaviours and thoughts. When are you allowing others to lead your thinking or behaviour and is it for the right reasons? When are you just ‘falling into line?’ Do you speak your mind or just agree for the sake of not having an argument? Do you ask for what you want & need or keep replacing them with other people’s wants & needs?
- Create Space To Do Nothing
There is value in doing nothing some of the time. Whilst you are constantly told to do something, to take action, to ‘keep going’, you must recognise when doing nothing is what is truly needed. There’s a wonderful poem called ‘Let Yourself Rest’ by Jeff Foster that sums up the importance of this and giving yourself permission to stop, to breathe, to be.
- Connect With Nature
Let nature teach you about the power you have when you connect with it. You need only take a walk in woodlands or down by a stream to feel and hear the heart beat of the earth, to see the miracles of this world we live in. Nature calms you, reminds you of what is possible and of how everything that has life is connected. It awakens the senses as you tune in to the bird song, the lightest whisper of a breeze, the rustling of the leaves, causing your awareness & focus to come alive.
- Prioritise Yourself On Your To Do list
Drop the guilt and get to meeting your needs. You cannot remain the afterthought in your life. It is your responsibility to value your heath & wellbeing and to invest the time & effort required to make it work for you. The question you have to ask yourself is what will happen to those who rely on me if I don’t take care of myself? You are central to so many lives, so key and as such, you must be key to your own.
What will be the result if you do these things? You will be energised with:
- Increased drive
- Increased ability to serve
- Increased emotional wellbeing
- Increased mental wellbeing
- A mindset that has the capacity to stay clear & focused
And that equals a Happier, Healthier You!
Your needs are important. It may seem unselfish to put them on hold while you focus on everyone else’s needs but the truth is, that’s the path to ill health and suddenly when you are unable to meet any of the demands you previously prioritised over self-care, you will realise why it has and will always be important to take care of you first.
The best analogy is the oxygen mask on the aircraft. Even before you put on your children’s you must put on your own. Why? Because if you are not safe & secure how are you going to help others to be? You might get their masks on first but if anything happens to you after doing so, who is there for them?
Nurture your needs and watch your life flourish!
YvonneB x
P.S. – Are You Ready To Get On The Top Of Your To Do List?
Being Your Best You 