As I’ve grown and my life continues to change, as ours all do, I’m mystified by how quickly time disappears.

As a mother, everything I do is for Jackson. He always comes first, including before myself. All this to say, I completely understand how easy it is to lose sight of ourselves among our daily rigmarole. I see this a lot with the women I work with regularly. I’m not exempt from this either. And what I’ve experienced and learned is that when we make ourselves a priority, everyone wins. 

We give so much of ourselves all the time to keep the world around us together, that if we fail to give back to ourselves, we lose balance. The way we each manifest this imbalance is different. Weight gain, depression, illness, the list is endless.

Which is why I’m an advocate for making YOU a priority! This doesn’t mean you’re giving up your responsibilities or being any less of a partner, parent or friend. It means you recognize the importance of fueling yourself in order to be a stronger resource to others.

Making yourself a priority requires change. Change takes time and effective change is slow. Carving out a segment of “me time” may feel challenging and sometimes impossible, however there are a list of benefits that go along with it like:

• You’ll feel happier and more energized
• Stress becomes more manageable
• Your relationships will flourish
• Sleep is easier and more restful
• Smiling will be involuntary and authentic

So how do you go about making YOU a priority?

If you’ve already recognized that this is a need, then step one is done. Being aware of yourself and how you feel is imperative. Next you need to simplify, organize and delegate.

Embracing the art of simplicity is a must in life. Much like our closets, over time our life gets overcrowded with tasks, commitments, finances and more. Simplifying allows you to make room for those things that you feel are important but don’t have time for, like YOU. It requires taking a good look at the overall landscape of your days and weeks, identifying what’s a need or a nice-to-have, then adapting and adjusting.

Organizing means taking control of your days. Knowing what to do and when will create an order that will give you a sense of peace. Trust me. For me, I love making To-Do lists. I make one each night before I go to bed so I know what I want to accomplish the next day. I then update this list over the course of the day as things pop up or change. Having a visual is a great way to keep you focused and help you accomplish the many things we always set out to do.

Lastly, delegation! We’d all like to believe that we’re Wonder Woman or He Man and can handle it all. But the truth is, we’re human and we can’t do everything alone. I’m a firm believe that it takes a village! Delegating is an opportunity to involve family or friends. It’s also a way to take the weight off of you. It may feel difficult at first. I’ll admit, asking for help hasn’t always been more forte, but when I did I quickly realized that people weren’t as adverse to it as I thought. They were actually happy to pitch in.

Now that all the preemptive leg work is done, what do you do?

The answer to this question is unique to everyone. Once you’ve taken the time to make time, it’s important that you use it in a way that makes you feel best. Being that I’m an advocate for health and wellness, eating well, exercising and getting a good night’s sleep are at the top of my list. I’m also an avid reader, enjoy catching up with my friends, getting my nails done, shopping and more. While most of these cycle in and out of my schedule, I’ve committed to the initial three on a daily basis.

Why?

Consistency is key to change and essential for results. Plus combined, eating well, exercising and getting a solid night’s sleep will greatly improve your mood, brain function, energy levels and physical appearance.

If there’s anything I encourage you to take away from this post it’s this: self care and self love is NOT selfish. PERIOD.

If you’re at the point where you want to get started but aren’t sure how, drop me a line. I’d love to help you get to your best self. And there’s no denying that you’ll love the Strong family we’re forging

Jenny@coachjvb.com