photoSelf Care equals Self Love: do you often feel like you put others needs before your own?  Focus on everyone else’s “stuff”, rather than your own needs?  Well, you’re not alone.  This phenomenon is pretty common and I’m sure most would agree, exhausting.  I’ve been guilty of it myself, but when you’re in the helping profession, it’s hard not to focus on other people’s problems.

The key is not to lose yourself in the process.  Yes, it feels good to help others, be kind and generous and offer help and support to those you love. But what about your needs?  I often hear myself asking my clients, “what about you, who is taking care of you?”  More often than not, the response is, “well, I’m okay, they have a lot going on and they need me”.  Sound familiar?  Guess what, you need you also, hence my blog this week about self care and self love.  I always say, if you don’t learn to love yourself, no one will know how to love you.

In order to love oneself, you first need to care for yourself and that means putting you first. That doesn’t necessarily mean disregard your daily responsibilities of being a parent, spouse, partner, employee, etc.  It simply means, make time for you each day that allows you the opportunity for uninterrupted “self care” or “me time” in which you are doing something you enjoy.  It could be a long hot shower, exercise, meditation, a manicure and/or pedicure (to all my male clients out there, you know you love this one), or taking off your shoes and walking through the grass at a nearby park.  All these examples are a form of self care and once you have given yourself permission to care for yourself, you can then open the door to self love, because after all, you are worth it.