Fill Your Own Cup First

They say you can’t pour from an empty cup. Yet how many of you are doing just that: running ragged between childcare, eldercare, and your jobs, with no time for self-care?

Self-care may seem like a crunchy buzzword that evokes images of bubble baths and fuzzy slippers. But not carving frequent time for yourself puts you at risk for burnout or a mental health crisis. 

Although it may seem counterintuitive and countercultural, filling your own cup first is far from selfish: it’s critical to your well-being. 

“We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression,” says Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, an associate professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut. “Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need and want to accomplish in a day.”

While you may not always have time to draw yourself a bubble bath, you can still work some self-care into your day. 

5 ways to fill up your own cup first

1.    Make self-care a priority. 
2.    Make a schedule and stick to it.
3.    Prioritize hygiene, nutrition, and sleep. 
4.    Practice saying “no.” 
5.    Get outside. 

“If you can’t love yourself, how are you going to love somebody else?” 
—RuPaul Charles 

Sources: hbr.org, everydayhealth.com