I'd like to give a shout out to ME. Over the past few weeks I have made a HUGE commitment to myself and my physical and mental health.
At work, I've had the tough conversations around my time and boundaries.
I've gone to workout classes or gone trail running 5-7 days a week for the last THREE weeks.
I'm using NO as a complete sentence.
And the results are dramatic.
I've always been a workaholic. It's truly been the biggest struggle to learn that being the best employee means recognizing boundaries in the work place. As much as I've said over and over that I refuse to succumb to a life of all work and no play, I still don't think I've mastered what that equilibrium looks like. And if I'm really honest with myself, I still work too much and I still allow work to upset my mental health balance far too much. But recently - I've burnt out so badly that I got myself in a dangerously depressive place. Thankfully I recognized it and created a plan to combat those emotions. Because of that, I was able to pull very quickly out of that depressed place and create steps to securing a healthy balance for my future.
Fitness has always been a passion of mine. Since I was crawling, I was involved in sports. I was a competitive athlete until I was 21. After college I struggled with how to workout on my own. Without the disciplined guidance and meets to prepare for - I didn't really know how to best create a workout plan. I've either created these unattainable schedules or I drop off the wagon. I struggle with finding workouts that challenge me without aggravating my injuries. About 3 weeks ago, I joined Class Pass (and then switched to Studio Hop). I've consistently been trying out different types of fitness and I've fallen in LOVE with the way I feel mentally and physically. Whether it be reformer Pilates, boxing, yoga, or circuit training - I truly look forward to the classes I'm taking. I've even lost weight apparently - which is a nice side bonus!
Lastly - I've started say no. End of sentence. No explanation. No qualification. Just no. Any by doing so, I'm empowering myself to do more for ME. I don't need to explain why I don't want to do anything.I don't need to tell work why I can't travel one weekend. My personal life, my personal time is just that - PERSONAL.
The lesson for this update? Put yourself first. Be selfish. I know I certainly spend a lot of time worrying about other people and how I can help their lives but at the end of the day that can leave me very empty. And when I'm on empty, I don't take care of ME. If you don't take care of you, you're eventually going to find yourself on empty too. Being selfish is critical to your health and happiness. A lot of people who suffer from anxiety spend so much time worrying about everyone else that the idea of being selfish only gives us more anxiety. Until you make the decision to be selfish, to keep yourself full too, you'll never be able to successfully exist in the world. When you're thinking of others, don't forget to think of YOU too.