Taking Care of You

I have questions that I dare you to contemplate and maybe even answer:

How are you making sure that you are being taken care of these days? 
What keeps you from putting yourself first?
Is it finally that time to break some patterns?

The era we've been living in reminds us of the importance of self-care. I’m not sure I love this compound word as it suggests that caring for myself is a DIY (or do-it-yourself) endeavour. Don't we all already have enough to do? Does the prospect of taking care of yourself feel daunting? When I reflect on this question, my conclusion is that I don't want the job of caring for myself to be solely up to me. Quite frankly, I don't think it should be. Sometimes, I just want someone else to help me.

Now, I know that some of you will read this and disagree. There are plenty of great points that highlight the contrary. We know that relying on other people isn't always possible. This is true if you are talking about the peeps in your life that you know want to be there for you but also have so much on their darn plates too that it often makes it unlikely for them to be able to do so. Truth is, it does start with some effort from you but it certainly does not have to end there. I would even argue that the more support you have from others, the more you can be available to love and care for yourself, the people around you, and the world. 

Let's just call it taking care of you, whether it’s self or other doing the heavy lifting. 

Taking care of you has an impact on the obvious (you), the people you share time and space with, and our planet. If you care about those things, then taking care of you is step one. What good can you be to anyone or anything if you are feeling empty, tired, and overwhelmed? 

The good news is that you can rely on other people who are out here making it their actual job to help take care of you. Ahem! I'm lucky to consider myself part of a whole roster of folks who make it their lives work to take care of you. And all you have to do (warning: there is a small effort involved) is call on us, make a move, and in a few easy minutes and clicks, the variety of external resources we have to offer are available to you. Most of us are more than willing, capable, and eager to help. I mean, we all decided to make a career of it. 

So we want to know:

What is in your way?
What keeps you from reaching out?
What are the stories and beliefs that prevent you from asking for help? 

We want to hear from you.

I have made it my life's mission to support others in feeling the most connected, available, and vibrant versions of themselves. Because of this, it is even more important for someone like me to lean on others like me to help. But I, too, have a slew of beliefs that get in the way for me:

“I’m fine.” 
“I have so much.” 
“I am here to serve.”
“I have to do it myself.” 
“Other people are suffering more.”
“Helping others makes me happy.”
“No one can take care of me, better than me.”
“I should be focussed on everyone else, it’s my job.”
“I must be productive and I have to accomplish something.”

Do any of those sound familiar?

When I am not doing the work to ensure that I am being supported and cared for (by those that I choose and can trust to lean on), and when my routines slip, I certainly feel it and I know the people around me do too. I have been through the cycle enough times to return to the exact same realizations: I cannot be anything to anyone if I am not showing up for myself and I can’t give out what I don’t have. So, I have been making it a priority to plan way ahead. 

This is me to myself these days:

“Book that body work, therapy, movement session already!” 

“Sign up for that program, astrology reading, meditation weekend now!” 

“Set aside time to rest, recharge your battery, you deserve that.”

“Make sure you have things lined up before you feel drained, you are worth it!” 

“Taking care of you is taking care of others.”

So, if you feel inspired to jump on the taking care bus with me, there are so many ways. We invite you to search through our website menu bar to browse through your options. We are here to support you in supporting yourself. In addition to what we have to offer, there is a whole community of care out there. Here is a list of people in complimentary fields in the Toronto area that I know and trust who are doing incredible work in service of taking care of others:

*in no particular order

The ProcessLisa MessinaThe ProcessComment