Permission To Take Care of You Too
Things are changing quickly, even now, a year into the pandemic. There is so much to do and so many decisions to make. How do you decide if it’s safe to go into a particular store, or send your child to in-person school, or visit with a friend? There is so much more information that needs to be factored into everyday decisions. It can be exhausting!
It’s OK if you feel like you don’t know how to do this, no one does. We’re wired to take in only the most important information and filter out the excess. It’s an efficient way to operate while things are going “normally”. For example, while driving you don’t fixate on the color, make, and model of every car that passes you. Instead, you notice that there is traffic coming in the opposite direction and if everyone seems to be staying in their lane, you work mainly to keep your vehicle on your side of the line and pay attention to when you’ll need to stop or turn. Driving is complex, for sure, but you have a lot of practice so don’t have to think about how to engage the turn signal, how to use the brake pedal, or turn the wheel.
However, things we didn’t use to have to devote time and energy to figuring out can now be labor-intensive. The energy required to make the decisions plus the energy used to worry about or talk about how hard it is to make those decisions adds up. No wonder you’re tired!
Please give yourself some credit for all of the extra emotional labor you’re doing these days. The more challenging your days are to get through, the more time you’ll need to recover. It’s OK to take more time for yourself these days than you used to. Self-care is always important but it’s even more so now. You’re working harder than ever, even if it means that your commute is down the hall instead of down the interstate. It’s OK to work in pajamas and slippers. The energy you would have put into deciding what to wear and otherwise get yourself ready is fueling new kinds of decisions.
Give yourself grace.
Give yourself time.
Celebrate ALL that you’re getting done these days.
Celebrate that you’re listening to your body and mind.
Celebrate getting the rest and renewal that you deserve. (I’ve posted a list of easy self-care options HERE.)
Give yourself permission to care for you with as much love and kindness as you care for others. You matter too.
Have you ever wondered how happy you really are and what you could do to change your happiness level? Get the assessment to find out!
