Many of you know by now that prioritizing YOURSELF first is a core value that I hope to inspire within you. Parents in general, but especially parents with autistic children, tend to run themselves into the ground, sometimes ignoring critical self care, whether it be a medical issue, relationships or nurturing yourself in any way. I am learning, time and time again, the importance and impact of taking care of myself right away. Here’s what happened last week…
I noticed that I was having a hard time catching my breath. My breathing was shallow and I just felt like I could not fully fill my lung capacity. This made simple things like talking and even eating challenging. Not only that- I was exhausted. I thought I was still recovering from jet lag from my trip to the U.S. in early May- but 10 days after my trip I fell asleep on the kitchen floor with my kids walking over me!
This was a sign- something was up and I was not going to let this drag out. I made a doctor’s appointment to discover that I likely had a B12 deficiency (which affects your nervous system, breathing and energy level amongst other things). I have begun taking a B12 supplement recommended by someone I trust and my breathing has already changed significantly (what a relief!) AND my energy is way up (I even started running again!). I am so glad I got on top of this so quickly (last year I went for months having a hard time breathing).
Why am I telling you this? Because I a have no doubt that there is something you are neglecting, either:
*your health (a bad back, a rash you have been ignoring, exercise, poor eating habits)
*relationship with your partner (when was the last time you had non-distracted intimate time with your partner?)
*friendships (there are no words how healing and nurturing time with your friends can be)
This is YOU time. To believe that you will get to YOU later (you have too many other urgent things to deal with right now) is an illusion. If you don’t prioritize yourself now, nobody else will.
Here’s how: pick the one area you have been neglecting and create one decisive action step you will take to turn that around. Do that action step with total devotion and see how empowering it feels.
This is your life- how do you want to live it?