It isn’t selfish to take care of yourself.

I have many clients who are concerned with the selfishness involved in asking for what they need, or taking the time to care for themselves. I like the analogy of being on an airplane and always putting on your own mask first before even trying to help others. Why is that? In low oxygen situations passing out happens quickly, if you don’t put your own mask on you will pass out and then you and those that need help will not have their mask on either, basically you can’t help anyone until you help yourself. And yet we say yes to projects we don’t want, yes to parties we don’t want to go to, yes to everyone that asks because saying no makes us feel selfish. Untrue! It is actually more selfish to think that projects and people and everything will suffer if you aren’t involved. If helping or showing up is a gift you have to give, then by all means, please do! Share that gift with the world. However, if that 5th party or that 10th project makes you feel drained, resentful and foreboding then saying ‘no thank you’ is actually the less selfish option. Give yourself permission to put on your own mask first, breathe, and then look at what you can take on.