When your mind, body or spirit are showing signs of needing rest, of needing care or healing, stop and take the time that’s needed. In your self-talk, you can give yourself permission to do so.

Think of it like getting a flat tire.

If you are driving down the street and you suddenly get a flat tire, would you keep driving? You would stop and take care of what needs taking care of. You would do that no matter what you had planned that day. You would do that no matter what commitments were hanging over your head. You would put all else on hold while you dealt with what needs to be dealt with -- even if it was highly inconvenient.

Now, what could happen if you didn’t pull over to fix the tire? It could lead to a bunch of problems much worse and more dangerous than a flat tire. You could damage the car. You could loose control of the vehicle. You could hurt yourself, or even kill yourself, or the individuals unlucky enough to be in your way.

Well that is how it needs to be with self-care. When your mind, body, or spirit are suffering from a flat tire, you need to fix it without delay.

Taking the time you need to heal yourself is preventative. Unless you want to move on to a more dangerous and damaging situation, you really have no choice but to stop. When your health and wellbeing are at stake, you slow down your life and take care of yourself.

As Audre Lorde said:

I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent.

Caring for myself is an act of survival.

My self-talk:

I take good care of myself.
I am worthy of self-care.
I take all the time that I need to nurture my health and well-being.
I just don’t have the resources to do everything that I used to do. Right now, I need to care for myself.
I know I had other plans but this is what is needed today.