The Monday Motivator | Take Care of Yourself

| Photo by Hilltop Photo Co. |

* The Monday Motivator is a series meant to motivate, encourage, inspire and provide advice on real life stuff.*

Real question: why aren't we taking care of ourselves?  I'm not talking about getting a pedicure, scheduling a dentist appointment, joining a gym kind of taking care of ourselves. But WHY do we make it feel so taboo to take care of our mental health?

Sometimes we can't always tell when our mental health is suffering. We get too busy to recognize it, and on the brink of burnout, reality kicks in with the realization that mentally, we are hurting. 

I experienced this exact situation two weekends ago. I had a long, busy week at work with loads of stress. I was in the middle of multiple different projects with the blog and boutique as well, and I had plans to go out with friends. In the middle of getting ready, I burst into tears. Reality caught up with me, my emotions got the best of me and I was faced with the cold, hard truth that I wasn't giving myself what I needed: a freaking break. 

In that moment getting ready, thinking about going anywhere gave me anxiety. I didn't look right, I was feeling sad, I was nervous to socialize. All these thoughts continued to build up until I erupted like a volcano and was left wondering "what the hell is wrong with me?" But what was wrong was I wasn't taking care of myself. I wasn't tuned in to what my mental health was asking for. 

SO, I did what makes me most anxious and cancelled. I was honest with my friends. I stayed home and answered to the needs of my body.

And guess what.

The next week, I went out. Because it was what my mental health needed.

If you're more on the extroverted side like I tend to be, sometimes time is spent feeling sad if we don't have plans or feeling guilty if we don't go out. Introverts are no strangers to these same feelings. But whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, you should never feel guilty about taking care of yourself. 

I found a balance the past two weeks in taking care of myself. One weekend I stayed in because I was consumed by my emotions and knew my body needed rest. The next weekend I went out to dance and spend time with friends because I knew what was best for my mental health in that moment was to let loose and have some fun. 

To truly take care of yourself, the most important thing you can do is stay in tune with your mental health. Know what you need before you reach burnout and answer to those needs; don't ignore them. Find your own personal balance between socializing and resting.

Only you know what your body needs. So start listening.

Volume up,