My natural inclination is to be there and care for others. With a high inclination toward empathy, I often find myself putting all others’ needs before my own. A most recent example was my need to care for the dog. Stay with here, since starting WFH (work from home) in March and staying in, my outside outlet became walking the dog. It was helpful and she enjoyed the time outside sniffing ALL THE THINGS. But it wasn’t much of a workout for me, she’s 11 and can’t go too far, she’s slow and stops often. I felt guilty taking a longer power walk on my own without her. So, I just didn’t go. There are so many times that I find myself making a choice for someone else over what’s best for me. Even when the choice really doesn’t have an impact on the other person (or animal in this case).
The fatigue creeps in when you have made several choices to be there for others before being there for yourself. And not taking the time to focus on my fitness was beginning to wear on me both mentally and physically. I started using the dog as an excuse to not go for a power walk. So, about a week ago I made a choice, I gave the dog a treat, put her in her room (don’t judge) and went on a long brisk walk around the neighborhood. I was able to get my heart rate into my happy cardio zone and I felt so much better when I was finished. I came home to a sleeping dog, who didn’t care that I was gone.
Other people want you to take care of yourself. We know that no one can pour from an empty bucket.
A challenge for you this week. Think about what fills your bucket and give yourself permission to do at least one of those things for yourself. Take note on how you feel afterward.
Want to learn a little more about feeling Crispy as a Helper? Join me in a free program through Zoom on Friday (May 29, 2020) at 1:00 pm (EDT). You can register here: https://tinyurl.com/crispyhelper. I look forward to seeing you there.
