Have you been on an aeroplane lately? Before the plane takes off there is always a safety spiel – which we all pay close attention to. Right? Right.
The instructions always include something like this:
“In case of an emergency, an oxygen mask will fall down from above you. Put it on yourself before assisting others.”
Have you ever thought about that? It sounds a bit selfish doesn’t it. If it was a Christian flight, you’d think it would say, “Put it on your neighbour first!” But no, ‘self-care’ is primary. Why? Because if you aren’t breathing, you are of no use to anyone else.
In life, I have found that a lot of people I know give the best of their energies to serving or helping others – which is a good thing. But the flip side is that in the process we can easily ignore taking care of ourselves, thinking that it is ‘selfish’. We end up tired, stressed, anxious, grumpy and maybe even a bit burnt out. Then we aren’t much use to anybody.
The truth is that the best gift you can give other people in your life is YOU being a healthy person – in good spirits and in love with life.
“Self care” … think about it. This is Mark Conner