Today’s big idea is that something we don’t generally think about when we think about being more generous is to give to yourself, too. Which is a really important piece of being a more giving person, because you can’t give from an empty cup.
Listen to the Podcast Here
I just want you to remember:
You, yourself are worthy of and in need of your own thoughtful giving too.
In fact, without taking the time to do nice things for yourself, all your giving can backfire by making you run down, burnt out, and maybe even sick or depressed. And that doesn’t do anybody any good, least of all you.
Just like there are lots of important and different ways to give to others, there are lots of ways to give to yourself, too.
There are so many ways to be more giving toward yourself
But the underlying principle is that you want to be generous in giving yourself what you need to feel your best.
That could mean, the time you give yourself to do whatever it is that you need in that moment. Like, maybe, meditate, or stretch, or exercise, or call a friend. In a New York Times profile, Gabrielle Union talked about pretending to have diarrhea so she can get some solitude in the midst of her family life. So, absolutely, be creative!
Something you give to yourself could also mean doing the practices that you know help you stay healthy like getting in bed when you’re tired, or taking your vitamin D or other supplements of choice, or washing your hands whenever you come home, or eating the veggies that you might otherwise try to talk yourself out of.
Something else you can give yourself is the help you need
Whether that’s booking a sitter so you can get some grown-up time either solo or with your partner, or the massage that will help your aching shoulder feel better, or scheduling the doctor’s appointment for that thing that’s been nagging at you, or just asking someone you trust to help you with something.
Giving to yourself might mean investing in yourself by signing up for a class, or putting away some money for an emergency fund or for retirement.
How you do give to yourself is really up to your best discretion and will look different at different times.
Daily Tiny Assignment
Your tiny assignment is to think about at least two ways you could give yourself something that you need in the next day or two or three. Thinking about what you need will help you find the opportunities to provide them for yourself.
Come back tomorrow when I’m talking about what to do when you find yourself jealous of other people’s vacations. Which happens to all of us at one time or another.
