Off and on for several years now, I’ve heard the adage, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” If you’re not sure what this means, it means you can’t do for others without doing for yourself first, whether it’s mental, emotional, or physical.

However, many of us struggle with doing anything for ourselves because we feel guilty for putting ourselves first for any reason. To my fellow parents out there, you know what I mean. We feel like we can’t buy ourselves something as small as a candy bar because we figure we should or could be spending that money elsewhere.

Take Time For Yourself

I’m no exception. As a single parent, I rarely do anything for myself. In fact, on my birthday this year, a few team members gave me gifts to pamper myself at home. While the gifts were wonderful, the message they were sending was coming in loud and clear…that it’s okay to put yourself first!

When I get some alone time, which is rare, I tend to relax and watch a movie, flip through cookbooks for meal inspirations, and at-home facials. If I can take a nap, it’s a big deal! But for the most part, I have a hard time remembering to fill my cup. And I’ve certainly had days where I tried to pour from a very empty and dry cup.

If 2020 isn’t a prime example that self-care is necessary, then I don’t know what is. This entire year has been one big gray hair, and I think we’ve all had our fill of it. In fact, how many of us are burnt out by this point? Staying home most of the time, taking care of the family, maintaining the household while working from home…the list goes on and on.

What Can You Do To Help Fill Your Cup?

What are you doing to take care of yourself when the world wants everything from you? How do you refill your cup and regain your sanity? If you’re looking for ideas on what you can do to feel normal again, or if you need a reminder of something you used to enjoy, check out the suggestions below:

Call a relative or a close friend. Sometimes you need a friendly and understanding voice to vent to. It’s some of the best “free therapy” you can get!
Is there a hobby that you enjoy? Is it cooking, gardening, scrapbooking, or even needlepoint? Whatever makes you happy, do it!
After you eat that delicious home-cooked meal, you can follow it up with a delicious dessert if you make it fantastic! If you order it from your favorite local bakery or sweet shop, that’s great too! After eating all that amazing food, take a nap. You deserve that too!
You may also be tired of cooking almost every meal, and you just want someone else to do the cooking. Sure, you have to pay for it, but sometimes it’s worth it so that you don’t have to clean the kitchen later. Order from a local restaurant to help support them and their employees and help boost the local economy.
If you’re an outdoors type of person, you’re probably anxious to get outside, if you haven’t already. A walk around the neighborhood could do the trick, going hiking or maybe knocking the dust off your bicycle and taking that for a spin.
Not all of us love being outdoors, though. Settling in with a new book to read, watch a new or old tv show, playing video games, or watching videos on YouTube can be relaxing and a great way to take your mind off of what’s going on in the world.
For the longest time, you probably told yourself (and others) that you don’t have time to exercise between work, the kids, and life. Quarantine has proven us all wrong. Now there’s plenty of time to shed off some quarantine pounds through working out at home or getting out that yoga mat. Sweating and stretching can bring about inner peace, right? At least that’s what I’ve heard.
Mommy Squad, this next one is for you, and I think it’s one you can get behind. Take a shower or a bath. Heck, even make it a bubble bath! Why not? If you’re lucky enough to be able to take a bath and NOT have interruptions from demanding family members (hello, kids!), then this is totally doable. And when you get out of that shower or bath, put on a little makeup, even if you’re staying home.

Do any of these suggestions entice you to do something for yourself? They should! We’ve had a heck of a year, and we deserve to do something for ourselves. We need to remember to make a plan to make time for ourselves, our own “me time.”

Don’t Feel Guilty For Taking Care Of Yourself.

At the end of the day, don’t feel guilty…taking care of you is also taking care of your family. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you care for your loved ones? They go hand in hand.

We’re pretty sure the team with Albuquerque Plumbing Heating & Cooling will start using some of these suggestions if we’re not already. Maybe we’ll start tonight, or maybe we’ll wait until the weekend. Whenever the mood strikes, it will be the right time.