We are partners, wives, mothers, carers, employees, employers, sisters, grandparents and daughters: all titles that are what we are in relation to others. But what are we to ourselves?
Time for yourself does not have to mean days or hours at a time. A brief time in the day given over just to yourself can make a real difference to you and the people in your life.
Have you found a balance in your life? Why do we need balance? How do we find it?
The nature of our lives today means we are often in a fight or flight mode, our sympathetic nervous system is dominant. Rushing from one place to another. Our sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive, the body and mind prepared and always ready for strenuous activity. Symptoms of a dominant sympathetic nervous system can include anxiety, panic attacks, nervousness, insomnia, breathlessness, palpitations, inability to relax or sit still, jumpy and jittery, poor digestion, fear, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Maybe you recognise some of these in yourself?
Spending time working to improve how you ‘rest and digest’, paying attention to your parasympathetic nervous system can have long reaching health benefits, including lowering resting heart rate and respiration, and improving digestion.
So taking time for you should never be seen as selfish or taking away from others; it is in fact part of looking after yourself, both mentally AND physically. There are numerous ways you can help your parasympathetic system: spend some time reading a book, listen to some music, take a relaxing bath.
Have you tried meditation? Yoga? Self-massage? If you’re not used to embracing your ‘rest and digest’ system, it can take time to adjust but keep trying! It’s like working any muscle or learning any new skill, it takes practice.
To help you on your way, follow the links to have a go at some of the tools you can use. Visit our International Women's Day page to access our free videos.
Find your balance, nurture your wellbeing and you’re doing the same for those around you. ‘You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Comments