This small tweak can quell resistance and get us into action.

“Put yourself first” vs “Prioritize your own needs”

Does one of these phrases hit you differently than the other?

Even though they are basically saying the same thing, they bring up very different thoughts and feelings for me.

Putting myself first can call up feelings of guilt or fear of being judged as selfish. It feels a bit icky, and like it wouldn’t be practical to do it all of the time.

Which makes my brain immediately reject the idea.

Prioritizing my needs, on the other hand, has a different feel. It is a priority amongst other things that are also important to me…the people I care for, the work I do, the responsibilities I have.

The classic example of taking care of yourself first is in the speech they give on airplanes. Put your own mask on first before helping others. Even this example makes it seem like something you would only do in an emergency situation.

Prioritizing your needs feels like something that could be done within the context of everyday real life. An ongoing act of balance that is dynamic and shifts accordingly. It sounds way more do-able.

When we aren’t consistently showing up for ourselves, even though we say we want to be better at it, it helps to get curious as to why we are resisting it.

Perhaps it is in how we define it or the words we use to think about it.

How would you describe the way you would like to care for yourself?

I’d love to hear. (This is what I do as a coach…ask questions that help you gain clarity so that you can move forward into action).

And if you could use some help in this area, I would be honored to share what I know, and help you get crystal clear on what it means to YOU to care for yourself.