Why You Need to Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First

As women, we are often so busy taking care of others that we forget to take the time to take care of ourselves. Between spouses/significant others, kids, and work commitments, life can be quite crazy.

However, it’s critical to our ongoing success that we take the time to help ourselves. If we are tired, stressed, and burnt out, we won’t be able to be effective in either our home or our professional lives.

Those annoying airline safety messages always tell us to put our own oxygen mask on first before helping others. Why? Because without enough oxygen we aren’t useful to ourselves or to anyone else.

So, given all that’s on your plate every single day, how can you ensure you get enough oxygen for yourself?

Try breaking this down into three categories: Daily, weekly and special occasions.

Start by putting together a list of the small daily things you need to do to take care of yourself. This could be a few minutes at the start of the day for yoga or meditation, a cup of coffee midday with a friend, or special time in the evening with a family member. Your goal is to schedule at least one of these activities into your day, every single day.

Second, look for the battery “rechargers” that help you gain the energy back you need to recharge at the end of a long, tough week. This might be a long bubble bath or a night out with friends. Schedule these so that you have at least one of these recharging experiences on your calendar every single week.

Third, plan the big getaways or events that really mean a lot to you. This might be a nice family vacation, or perhaps a getaway without the family. It might be a special event you’d like to attend, or a celebration with friends.  Pick a date, put this on your calendar for a definite time in the not-to—distant future, and let those around you know you’ve made the commitment to this event.

Now, here comes the hard part. When things get crazy, you’ll be tempted to cancel or postpone your “Me” time. Don’t do it! Consider these to be business appointments that would have a serious repercussion if you didn’t show up as planned. And that’s true in a way. The business benefiting here is you.

Take the time to take care of yourself. The renewed energy you’ll have will allow you to take care of others around you as well as yourself.

-Linda Popky, President, Leverage2Market Associates