It’s easy, when time is tight, to cut the things that benefit us. Exercise, meal prep, prayer, these are activities that seem disposable, but are in reality the secret to our success. We’re responsible for the care of others, but we won’t be successful unless we first take the time to care for ourselves.
This is a recurring them that I’ve contended with over the past nine years, and more. The standard set of daily activities that I need to live a balanced life and be prepared for the responsibilities of my day. The life of any adult, let alone a parent, is exhausting. There are the weekly tasks like menu planning and laundry. There are the daily tasks, like meal prep and cleaning. Sprinkled in between is work, play, and so much more. Add into that managing the lives of your children, and it quickly becomes overwhelming.
I think the reason this remains so unsettled is that we hesitate to commit. It takes commitment to take care of ourselves, but the paradox is that the more that we cut into these essentials, the less we have to give. The more protected time and effort we give away to work and other things, the less we can respond to the daily needs of our families.
Like the oxygen mask on the airplane, we need to take a moment to secure our mask before we help others. The same is true for our daily lives. We must eat, pray, exercise, and relax, or we’ll be hopeless when managing the daily stresses of caring for those we love most.
