Family is essential to our health. Connections and relationships whether by blood or by choice has been proved to contribute to our overall well being.
However. There are times when our obligations, duties, and commitments overrun us. We stop taking care of ourselves because our loved ones need us to take care of them. It could be our kids, an ill partner, or aging parents.
It’s easy to push ourselves to the back seat. And for awhile we don’t see much ill effect. We’ve got it covered. But over time, as temporary needs shift into more permanent ones, or when we’re so used to giving to others that we forget how to give to ourselves (or worse, feel guilty for doing it), time for ourselves and our own health becomes a more pressing need.
It’s like the oxygen mask on an airplane, right? We have to take care of ourselves first so we can most effectively take care of others.
When we make our own health a priority in our lives, we gain much-needed energy to help others. And when our own reservoir of energy is full, we are able to better respond to emergencies and crisis, not to mention the much more difficult task of maintaining momentum and energy in the long term.
In talking with other folks in interviews and workshops, here are some things they’re doing to make sure their own family commitments don’t overrun their goals for better health and energy:
- Make it a family event or tradition. Get the kids out on the trail with you. Sign up for a family 5K. Get out for a high-energy scavenger hunt around your neighborhood.
- Create a personal challenge for yourself. Create a game or type of reward system for yourself to help motivate you to make the time.
- Create a back-up plan. If you have a set schedule or routine (i.e., yoga class every Tuesday and Thursday morning), get familiar with alternative times and days that class is offered in the event you have to miss one. Stay flexible and think outside the strictures of your current routine.
And finally, late-blooming athlete CJ talks about how taking time to workout helps him be a better father:
My kids inspire me. I want to be the best father that I can be. I feel like even with all the time I’ve taken training, I have so much more energy for them. I have a better appreciation for going out and having fun and doing things with them that I think would’ve been hard to do before my running.
What about you? What are some of your tricks and tips for making time to workout when family commitments and obligations start to squeeze your time?
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