Life is a mess. It is busy, chaotic, and exhausting. You work a full day, have an exam to study for, laundry is piling up in the basket, and people are counting on you for one reason or another. Every time you cross something off your to-do list, it seems like three more things get magically get added to it. There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done and tomorrow isn’t looking so good either. We get so caught up in our hectic day-to-day life that we don’t realize how much we’ve burnt ourselves out until it’s too late.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Sometimes you have to take care of yourself before you can fully take care of other people and tasks. If you keep pouring yourself out, you’ll eventually be left drained. Then what happens? Maybe at this point, you’ve become sleep deprived which leads to a lack of concentration. Then, your work suffers or you can’t focus to study enough for your exam. Eventually, things are unraveling in front of you and you just keep draining yourself faster. It can be a vicious cycle and make you sick if you aren’t careful enough.
Take care of yourself. Step away from the textbook. Put down the social media. Say no to the overtime or the extra shift at your second job. Read a book. Drive to your happy place. Drink your coffee outside, embracing the sound of peace and quiet. Treat yourself to a new outfit or a fancy bottle of wine or a new hairstyle. Get a full eight hours of sleep for a night and see how much better you feel the next morning. We get so overwhelmed with our to-do lists and looking out for other people, we constantly neglect ourselves. While you’re busy with appointments, classes, and work schedules, don’t forget to pencil yourself in some time to regroup and recharge.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. This is something I have to tell myself semi-regularly. I told myself this when I was starting another 15 hour work day and could barely remember the commute just minutes before. I told myself this when I was trying to make plans for work, the gym, friends, and family all in the same day. Sometimes, the to-do list can wait. Sometimes, your biggest priority needs to be yourself. Your goals should be a key part of your life, whether they’re personal or professional. But if you destroy your physical and mental well-being in the process of meeting these goals, did you really win?
Some of us are cut out for 15 hour work days and high demanding lifestyles. But no matter what, we’re all human and we all have breaking points. Don’t run yourself so far into the ground, you can’t climb back out. Love yourself and take care of yourself. It doesn’t make you selfish. It makes you healthy and it makes you successful.
