Taking time to ‘fill up’?

More & more, I notice people ‘giving from empty’, & how that is encouraged by society often, by considering ‘self care’ selfish… Life has changed a lot in the last 50 years & we could do with demonstrating excellent examples of ‘taking time to fill up’ to future generations to avoid burnout (frazzled, as Ruby Wax puts it).

There is very little about my life that is ‘regular’ – not my work or my down time – which makes it both delightful & challenging! As our nervous systems benefit from routine, the challenge is to balance the relentless demands of work & life with the needs of our nervous systems! This is the situation for most people, though the exact details may differ – could be family demands, with children at home, elderly parents to offer support to, illness etc.

I suggest we factor in regular ‘fill up’ slots, as we don’t always know when these high demand periods will occur. It can work well to ‘bank’ some extra rest for ourselves, in advance! This doesn’t always work, & isn’t even always possible, but it is worth bearing in mind. I received some great input from a wise woman who’d realised how she benefited from ‘fill up’ time before her children arrived home for the holidays, that way she happily responded to their needs, without a sense of resentment!

If we make self-care automatic, we can recover quicker, even if we are ‘knocked for six’. And, for everyone, the self-care is different, but let it offer balance to your everyday existence – ideally before illness occurs or medication is required… Call me if you’d like me to be a part of that ‘filling up’ process..