You are the golden goose - why self care is essential.
I remember the first time I came across this statement and it shook me to my core!
I was trying to have it all, but I was sabotaging myself in the process, because I wasn’t aware of 2 things…
1 - What I thought was ‘having it all’ wasn’t my definition
2 - I wasn’t including time for self care
So what is the golden goose?
If you’ve not heard the nursery story, a farmer has a goose that lays a golden egg. Every morning he goes out to find a fresh new egg, however in his greed he got tired of waiting. So he cut open the goose to retrieve all the golden eggs at once and ended up with nothing!
It’s a pretty sad and gruesome story to be honest but how much can you relate?
You try to do so much in the time you have and you end up burning out, feel like you’re no longer fun or that you lost yourself along the way.
But it doesn’t have to be like that.
Firstly - what do you define as ‘having it all’? Grab your journal and reflect on this. Its like the million dollar question - what would you do if time and money weren’t an issue.
If it seems silly, then get serious with yourself, get really honest about what you are doing and why. Sure they’ll be things you can’t change BUT I’m willing to bet there is plenty you’re doing that doesn’t need to be done - at least not by you.
When I sat down and got honest about this I realised I had to set some boundaries and expectations. If I was working late teaching then I needed to have dinner before, even if it meant not having this time with my partner. Because eating at 9.45pm was not great for my digestion and meant I wasn’t going to bed till gone midnight!
This will be different for everyone, if you are struggling with this, sit down with your partner or your team and see what can be ditched or delegated.
Secondly - how are you managing your time and are you blocking out (and keeping) time for self care?
Feeling burnt out, rushed or that you don’t have enough time means you aren’t managing it.
Get a planner (physical or digital) and plan out your day to the minute! Really see where and how you spend your time.
Most people spend at least 30 minutes scrolling mindlessly and an hour on top of that watching TV - that’s over 10 hours a week! You could gain back a whole work day. I’m not saying to not do either of these things, but to catch yourself when you believe you don’t have time and yet its being spent elsewhere.
Block out time for self care AND STICK TO IT!
It can feel easy to see that time and decide to do something else - but you only need to aim for 22 minutes per day of exercise. That’s less than 2% of your day.
An hour relaxing in the bath, reading a book, going for a walk or on your yoga mat - not only gives you time for yourself i.e refills your cup, but its practicing mindfulness, being present - unlike scrolling or TV time.
Not sure where to start with this?
I can help you create a simple yet effective self care plan during my 90 day signature coaching program The Vibrant Wellbeing Method.
Book a FREE strategy call HERE and make sure to select YES to going through a lifestyle audit and we can go through this together.
image shot at Ara Ha