My dirty little secret is that in spite of what I do for a living, I struggle taking care of myself, just like you do.
There is always one more phone call to return, another blog post to write, client programs to write, current research to keep up on. Add on cooking, cleaning, and traveling 10 days a month – and actually taking care of myself frequently falls to the bottom of the list.
But, not taking care of yourself is, well, stupid.
I had a friend point this out to me recently. She said to me, you’d never leave on a trip without making sure the dog had a safe place to be. If your brother needed help with your niece, you’d be on the next flight out. You ALWAYS take care of your clients.
“But, Jen, and I need you to hear me when I say this. If you end up getting really sick (or heaven forbid, worse) you aren’t of use to anyone. What if you get too sick to take care of those you care about? You actually OWE IT TO THEM to take care of yourself so you can always be there for them.”
The common sense of taking care of yourself so you can take care of others hit me like a lightening bolt.
8 out of 10 deaths in the US are from what are known as “lifestyle diseases.” Things like chronic heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. All of these are largely preventable through leading a healthy lifestyle. [Read more...]
