You Matter Too

Are you keeping your head barely above water—juggling full days of work, kid activities, and trying to keep your sanity?

Do you feel exhausted, yet find it hard to carve out time for yourself to recharge or just have a moment of peace?

Or maybe you feel like you’re managing it all and swimming along just fine, but still have little time for your own needs.

Here’s the thing: No matter how busy life gets, YOU matter too.

When we take time to recharge and meet our needs, we think and respond better to the challenges we face—and don’t let them drown us.

We’re more present and patient, we think more clearly, we make better choices, and we have more energy.

And we feel so much better.

When we take care of ourselves, we can show up for others in a more meaningful way. Your family gets the best side of you, not what's left of you.

This is especially needed when the pressure is on, life is feeling too busy, and we’re managing competing demands at work and in our personal life.

Now, you may be surprised to hear that the advice to make yourself your number one priority has never really rung true for me.

If I were truly making myself number one, there are A LOT of things I wouldn’t do!

What I don’t do anymore, though, is put myself last and everyone else first. I matter too. Again, you matter too.

“Make yourself your number one priority” can sometimes sound simplistic, even misleading.

If you were to take this advice literally, your life would probably look radically different, and likely not in a caring or fulfilling way.

It’s about making yourself a priority AND being there for others—a dance between meeting your needs and caring for those around you.

Understanding that you matter too—not above everything else, but alongside it.

But make no mistake, caring for yourself is JUST as important as caring for others, and sometimes even more so.

This perspective invites you to reassess your choices and actions, ensuring they align with your personal needs, values, and commitments to others.

It can help you recognize that, while you might not be the only priority, you are a significant one.

This is crucial to the balance—and harmony—of your life.

Now, if your tank is on empty, taking care of yourself first is the best thing to do—the idea of putting on your own oxygen mask first.

When you are exhausted, overwhelmed, or burned out, it’s much harder to be your best self at work or at home.

This is not selfish. In fact, it is essential if you are going to be there for others in the best way you can. Besides, sometimes we have to be selfish!

The point is that it’s not one or the other—it’s about finding a balance.

You can’t be there for everyone. So let go of the guilt. Figure out your own balance when it comes to making yourself a priority and being there for others.

Be bold. What is one thing you can do to make yourself a priority? How about in your life, in general?

“Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first.’ It means ‘me, too.’" – L.R. Knost

What’s next? Get your copy of Your Balanced and Bold Life: Work Less, Live More, and Be Your Best, available on Amazon and other major online retailers, or visit www.staceyolson.ca/book.

This book will guide you to be happier, balanced, and successful—whatever that looks like for YOU!