Wednesday's wisdom....

"Put your oxygen mask on first...."

If you've ever been on a plane, that's part of the directions they give you at the beginning of a flight, instructing you that in the event of an emergency you should apply your own oxygen mask first, then assist those around you. 

In speaking with a couple of female friends this morning about being able to be there for our families,  I commented how important it is for me to put my oxygen mask on first, before I can help anyone else. One of the women confessed she had never heard that expression used to encourage one to take care of themselves in order to help others.  

Now for most of us, I think our first instinct is to want to mask up everyone else first before taking care of ourselves.  But if you think about it, should you fail to apply the mask to yourself first, you will probably pass out and thus be unable to assist anyone, including yourself.

As a young mother, I figured out pretty quickly that I needed to take care of me if I was going to take care of them, those tiny people that started to inhabit our home.  It made sense that if I truly wanted to be there for my kids I needed to take care of myself if I had any hope of being at my best for them.

Lack of sleep was a danger zone for me.  I don't function well if I'm tired and it also shortens my "fuse" dramatically, so getting enough sleep has always been a priority. I found a workable, early bedtime and stuck to it - seven days a week.  

And those days of stuffing myself with Cheetos or skipping meals?  Over.  I needed to eat properly to stay healthy and keep up my stamina.  During my pregnancies, the Englishman made sure I loaded up on the veggies.  I confess, it took time, but now I'm a fan of brussel sprouts, affectionately known as "green jobs" around here, and all other manner of things green.

I also make sure to slip my hand into my stash to enjoy even the tiniest bit of dark chocolate every day.

God bless my mother, when my girls were young, she would look after them every Monday afternoon so I knew there were a couple of hours each week that I could count on to recharge my battery so to speak.  Now that those little ones are all grown up and out on their own, having a little quiet time by myself each day is easier and a real boost to my energy levels.   

Though it sounds as though you are putting the cart before the horse, for me, taking care of myself first is they key to my ability to be there for my loved ones and friends.

And as Martha says, "That's a good thing."