I used to believe that being overworked was a sign of success. I used to measure my productivity by how busy I was every day. I don’t think that way anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe in working hard to accomplish my goals. I also understand that sometimes sleepless nights are inevitable and that on some days coffee needs to be my main source of nutrition. However, I also believe in the importance of rest and self-care.
Throughout the years, and well, a few mental breakdowns and therapy sessions later, I have learned that we must strive to keep a balanced busy life. What exactly does that mean? Balanced busy life? It means that productivity and success in your life should also reflect the different ways you take care of yourself mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. It means you don’t neglect yourself of the self-care we all need.
Why is it that we understand our cars need maintenance every couple of months but don’t believe our mind and body need the same? We fail to recognize that self-care and rest are vital for a healthy mind, body and spirit.
Image from http://soulisticaz.com/
Even our electronics need to be charged every day. The more we use them, the more we need to charge them. What makes us think we don’t need to re-charge too?
When I say rest, I’m not encouraging you to stay on the couch for 10 hours straight every weekend (even though that doesn’t sound too bad right now), what I’m saying is that it’s okay to slow down.
It’s okay to call in sick if you feel mentally drained. It’s okay to skip the gym for one day if that means you get to have an extra hour of sleep. It’s okay to cancel your Saturday night plans to make time to go the gym. It’s okay to make time out of your busy schedule to get a massage or go to yoga. It’s okay to think of your well being first before everything else.
Personally, the past few years I’ve had to work on my emotional and spiritual well-being. I think we are all forced to do this at one point in our lives, especially when major changes in our lives occur. In addition, thanks to my anxiety (that leads to depression if untreated), I have accepted that I will forever have to work on my mental health. My awareness of this has led me to recognize the red flags and most importantly, it has led me to not be ashamed of admitting when I need to stop what I’m doing in order to take care of myself. I know when my mind needs to disconnect from my reality in order to de-stress or when I need that extra hour of sleep.
As for my physical well-being, ummm, let’s just say instead of lifting my hand to eat Hot Cheetos I should be lifting weights lol. This is the area of my life I need to improve. What are some of the areas in your life that need improvement? How do you balance a busy schedule without neglecting your self-care? If you are still trying to figure it out, don’t get discouraged; it is never too late to start putting yourself first.
Diana Resendiz is a graduate from Arizona State University. She loves traveling and has been exploring other countries since she was a teen. She loves learning about other cultures, trying different foods and hanging out with the locals. Her current goal is to visit 30 countries before she turns 30. Earlier this year, she went backpacking through South America and Europe for three months. When she’s not traveling, she enjoys hiking, writing, drinking iced-coffee and doing Reiki. Also, due to her experience with anxiety and depression, she hopes to help break the stigma of mental illnesses in the Latino community. She hopes you join her on her new journey of self-discovery and how to live a mindful lifestyle.
