I have been known to engage in extreme multitasking, and frequently use my long legs to lope across my workplace like the white rabbit late for tea. "Slow down," my coworkers tell me. Usually, I don't. Usually, I can't. When my workload is overwhelming, I carry too much, go too fast, and push myself too far. There's too much to do and never enough time, and I'm trying so hard to achieve as much as humanly possible. But despite having the best intentions, it's moments like these when I'm emptying my cup and will pay the price later. Hence the saying, "You can't pour from an empty cup," meaning we can't take care of others if we do not take care of ourselves first.
Self-care is the crucial practice
of preserving one's own health,
yet it's something many of us neglect.
of preserving one's own health,
yet it's something many of us neglect.
I often write about the power of intentional positivity, but a positive mindset is just one ingredient in the recipe for a happy life. Self-care is the crucial practice of preserving one's own health, yet it's something many of us neglect. Placing other people and obligations ahead of ourselves is something we do out of love. Sometimes though, we try to do so much with that love that we ignore our own basic needs, driving ourselves to exhaustion or even physical detriment.
To engage in taking care of ourselves, we must find ways to replenish. Our energy, happiness, and motivation are not limitless resources. Smell the flowers. Feel the sunshine. Walk your dog. Wear fluffy socks. Take a bubble bath. Play your favorite song.
Fluffy socks won't solve all our problems- but they will make us happy when our feet are cold. Make ourselves happy. In big ways, in small ways, in random, unplanned, unexpected ways. Sprinkling small moments of happiness throughout our busy days can mean the difference between exhaustion and endurance. We must take breaks. We must breathe. We must laugh. Be good to ourselves, because running on empty is dangerously close to not running at all.
Breonna Loxley is an animal care technician at an animal shelter. She is an avid artist, writer, and animal-lover. She lives with her parents, a younger brother, two cats, and one dog.