I believe we should all be a bit selfish. In fact I believe it is mandatory!

Being selfish and prioritising your needs is the only way to avoid burn-out and live a life of fulfilment. Wouldn’t you agree?

In clinic I find that most of us are great at taking care of others but not so much ourselves. Think about it – most of us often overextend ourselves to help others, or we stop at the drop of a hat to say yes to friends, family and work.

Where do you think that leaves you? Burnt out, stressed, anxious and resentful.

Many of us choose to live life in the back seat and follow what we think we should be doing, rather than living intentionally. Our needs, desires and values fall be the wayside and we wonder why we don’t love the life we lead.

Putting yourself first is selfish and I believe that is a good thing! When we don’t put ourselves first we lash out and hurt others because we are exhausted. We don’t when our bucket is full. Why? Because you have excess. Excess energy and creativity to be there for others.

In order to be a better mother, sister, daughter, entrepreneur, human being you have to take care of yourself first.

Journalling prompts to identify your needs

The way to take care of yourself first is to get real with you, by creating space to get to know yourself. Grab a journal and a pen and answer these questions to identify what needs and desires are missing in your life.

• How do I feel about how I am currently taking care of myself?
• What area of my life am I neglecting the most? Family, Friends, Play/Fun, Self-Development, Self-Care etc.
• Where would I like to invest my time and energy the most?
• What are the top 3 things that help me to feel calm?
• What are the top 3 activities that brings me joy?
• At the end of each day what do you wish you had done? This isn’t about being more productive work or task wise, but rather the fun, meaningful, inspiring, playful things you wish you did.
• What are my top 3 values? e.g Learning, Peace, Connection, Play etc.
• What activities could I start to do that would align with my top 3 values?
• Out of the information explored above, what need(s) am I prioritising to inject into my week or weekends first?
• What part of the day will I make time to do this? (morning, lunch, evening etc)
• How many times a week or month do I plan to do this?

Now that you have identified what you would like to prioritise first, schedule it into your diary/phone and do it! Living your life intentionally is a game-changer for not only your stress levels, but your happiness too. You deserve to feel happy and content just as much as the next person.

Come back to this list whenever you need a refresher or to re-evaluate your needs. Our needs are constantly changing and it’s important to check in with yourself to make sure you are on track and living a life aligned to your true self. Go ahead and do this for you!