[LoveBites] How to Take Care of Yourself When No One Else Will

For the last week or two I’ve been a little quieter than usual on social. I honestly wasn’t feeling my best and needed to catch up on some sleep.

Sleep is critical when we’re trying to reach a health goal – like improving symptoms of hormone balance issues, like uncontrollable cravings, volatile moods, low energy, digestive disturbances, weight fluctuations, and menstrual irregularities.

I want you to know that it’s important to listen to your body and do what you can to give it what it needs. In my case, this week I needed to take a nap during the day for a few days and step away from my laptop and phone when I could. I’m still not 100% but definitely feeling the charge coming back.

I realize I’m pretty lucky to be able to set my own schedule and dip when I need to. If you feel you’re not currently in a situation where you can take what you need when you need it, here are some ideas to start to reframe with yourself and those around you (save this email to come back to it with a pen and paper so you have a tangible record of your answers):

• Ask yourself why you feel guilty or ashamed or stuck when it comes to asking for what you need. Is it because you’re afraid they’ll say no, that they’ll be disappointed or angry with you, that you’ll lose income/trust/confidence, and/or that you’ll have to follow through on the care you want to plan?
• Get clear on what the plan is. What kind of care do you need? When do you want to get it done? A couple of hours on the weekend for meal planning and prep, 30 minutes at 6am to workout, an hour a week on Thursdays to meet with your nutrition coach…? Whatever it is, set that intention – write it in your calendar and be ready to keep that appointment.
• Communicate your needs. Tell your partner, a friend, your coach, your work about your plans. Set boundaries and hold firm to your “no”. You don’t deserve to be made to feel guilty about doing what you need to do to take care of yourself, whether that’s taking an hour to nap, asking someone (or Netflix where reasonable) to watch your kids while you meal prep or workout, or delegating household and/or work duties to make a little more space on your plate for any other form of self-care.

What do you need? What can you do to start setting that up for yourself?