The One Intention That has the power to change Everything else

We'll bet this sounds familiar to women everywhere: Day after day, you find yourself, yet again, in a situation that asks you to either take care of yourself or take care of someone or something else. We have 5 minutes to ourself and the choice comes down to this: rest or do we do something that needs to be done (and there is always something that needs to be done). Why do things often seem to come down to this one choice?

Countless women are feeling the effects of burnout due to the never-ending demands on the their time and energy.

Maybe our boss asks us to take on another assignment even though they should already know how busy we are and therefore should not ask in the first place.

Maybe our partner needs our support at a time when we're feeling emotionally overwhelmed ourselves, but we put our own struggles aside to hold space for them because that's what we're taught good partners do.

Maybe a parent or loved one dumps their emotions on us without first asking if we have the time (let alone the energy), but we let it go and lend a listening ear.

Maybe we're an introvert who needs to recharge our batteries, but we have to take our kid to yet another birthday party. And so… we take them.

Does it seem like there is never enough time in the day to take care of yourself too? Does the idea of asking others to help you so you can get a break bring up feelings of guilt and anxiety?

If you answered yes to these questions, it might be time for you to set the intention that will change everything for you: the intention to take care of your own well-being first.

Continuing to care for others without caring for ourselves will take its toll on us. We must make a different choice.

We know, we know: It's a hard thing to do.

If it were easy, we'd already be doing it. But just because it's hard, doesn't mean it's not worth doing. You are worth the effort. And, it really is doable. We've seen it time and again with many of our clients.

Setting this intention and maintaining it with the stubbornness of a bull is the one thing we've seen be the biggest help to our female clients again and again. And yet, many women still feel unable to set and maintain this intention. We understand why– prioritizing ourselves is counter to the messaging we receive in our culture.

But here's the cold, hard truth: deprioritizing ourselves is not working for us. We're exhausted and burned out.

The current system is not working because we cannot give to others what we do not have. Think about it this way: Can you give away $50 if you don't have $50? No. It's the same with our empathy, compassion, and energy.

If we're so overwhelmed that we don't feel strong enough to explain our workload to our boss, or feel compassionate towards our partner, or energetic enough for a birthday party, that's okay. We must notice the exhaustion within ourselves and let it be a signal that our very next step needs to be to prioritize and restore ourselves.

But we don't recharge our own batteries. In fact, we feel guilt at even entertaining the idea of spending time, money, and energy on ourselves. And so we push ourselves to exhaustion on a regular basis. No wonder we're burned out.

Feelings of guilt, failure, and shame stem from toxic messages we've received about women's role in our culture.

Feelings of guilt aside, the fact that we have to take care of ourselves too might give us a sense of failure. We truly want to do it all, but the truth is: we aren't superwoman. Superwoman is a fictional character (who wasn't created by a woman, might we add). Nobody in the real world has infinite energy. We're all human. But the truth is, by acknowledging and accepting our finitude, by prioritizing ourselves, we find that we can do more for others (and for ourself too!).

We invite you to take that fundamental next step we're all deeply needing: Set the intention to prioritize YOU.

What can this look like? It can actually be easier than you think. We recommend taking at least 15-20 minutes just for yourself every day (yup- every day!). Surely such a short amount of time is doable, even for the busiest of us out there. We might need to ask our partner (or a neighbor) to watch the kids so we can have that time. We might need to wake up just a little bit earlier (and/or go to bed a little earlier so we still get the appropriate amount of sleep). Identifying what needs to shift to open this time up for us can feel daunting, but it's the most important thing we can do to help keep ourselves sane.

We can take better care of ourselves by connecting to ourselves in body, mind, heart and soul/spirit.

What do you do during that time? Well first, find a relaxing place without any distractions. Then we recommend being still with yourself. Feel into your own breathing. Connect with nature if you can by admiring a tree or a small plant. Check in with yourself with questions like, "How am I feeling today? What is bothering me today? Why is it bothering me?" Get out of your head and feel the answers that arise from your heart and gut. Tell yourself something loving.

Do this every day, and we're sure that you'll notice a difference in your energy. The more time you take for yourself, the more restored you'll feel. We've seen it be a game-changer for women. And you know what? This kind of self care is pretty darn cheap!

Here is what we want you to know:

The problem isn't you. You were born whole, beautiful, powerful, enough. The toxic messages we've received about women's role in society have taken their toll, and many of us have internalized those damaging narratives in order to survive in the world.

We often hear messages that tell us that as women, our role is to take care of others, even at the expense of our own health and well-being. We're here to tell you that you have a choice, and we're asking you to choose unlearning those messages so you can live a better life full of positive energy, love, and vitality.

We were born whole, powerful, enough. Restoration allows us to step into our power.

Once you feel restored, everyone around you can feel it. Your boss will see the difference. Your partner will see it too, and will likely want you to keep doing whatever it is that got you there. Your children will feel it (and appreciate it) because you're more present with them.

Setting and maintaining this one intention is the biggest first step. Everything else flows from there.

Please prioritize YOU.

Want to go even deeper with yourself during your self-care time? Purchase our guided journal, THRIVING FROM WITHIN®: The Guidebook. By walking you through 20 self-reflection exercises, you'll know yourself better than ever, which is the perfect way to take better care of yourself and meet your needs. At just $25, The Guidebook won't break the bank and can further your efforts down the path towards well-being. Learn more about The Guidebook here.