Taking care of yourself means keeping your cup full. If you don’t do things to keep your cup full, you have nothing left to give to yourself, to what is most important to you, or to share with others. This is a tough concept for all of us because we have been programmed by society to put responsibilities and the needs and demands of other people first. Yet, the truth is that it will never all get done, and we are not responsible for the happiness of anyone else. It’s a pointless quest that does nothing but suck the life out of us.
If we continue pouring out of our cup by trying to constantly take care of everyone and everything around us, without refilling it consistently, we will soon begin to experience that dry, cracked feeling at the bottom of our cup. And empty cups eventually lead to burnout and breakdown.
Here are 5 signs that your cup needs refilling:
You’re frequently irritable and frustrated.
You snap easily. You’re wound so tightly that are easily irritated and on edge. You’re especially frustrated and impatient with people who you think are lazy and uncooperative.
You’re uncomfortable with quiet.
Silence makes you nervous. You always have the TV or radio
on or you’re on social media to avoid the quiet. You’re uncomfortable being with yourself, and you struggle with being present, so you stay distracted.
You feel isolated and alone.
You feel like nobody is there for you, and no one understands what
you’re going through. You tend to isolate and avoid interaction with people because you feel weary and exhausted, and you may even feel sad or resentful around people.
You feel unfulfilled and empty – even numb.
It’s been a while since you have had fun or felt joy. Nothing sounds fun, and everything feels blah. You feel overwhelmed by so many demands and responsibilities that you have no time or energy left for what is important to you.
You have an increased sense of drivenness.
You always feel compelled to do more and be more even though your plate is already full. Yet, no matter how much you do or how much you achieve, it never feels like enough. As you look around at others, you feel frustrated that you don’t have what they do, and the drive inside for more convinces you that you have to work harder and do more despite how exhausted and unfulfilled you feel.
If this is you, then there is hope. There is a way out. You must first realize that you have created this for yourself, and you are the only one who can get yourself out of it. Shaming yourself is not the way out though. Living in truth and loving yourself out is the best way to freedom. Say this to yourself. “It is my responsibility to take the time to do what feeds my soul – first. When I do this, the world won’t fall apart. People won’t hate me. I won’t be punished for it. When I love and take care of myself, I’m happier. I have more energy to care for my loved ones. I’m calmer. My body feels better. My mind is clearer. I feel more fulfilled, and I am free to be fueled by my passion instead of driven by fear and have tos. I draw positive things and people to me because I’m giving off good, positive energy.”
The more we do for ourselves, the happier and more fulfilled we are, and the more we have to offer others from the best parts of us. Make the decision today to take the steps to start filling your cup. You’ll be so glad you did, and your life will be so much better for it.
-Connie