There’s a reason airlines ask us to put on our own oxygen mask first in case of an emergency. If you aren’t functioning properly, how on earth can you help others?
In everyday life, I find that if I don’t apply my oxygen mask, which in my book, is get my training in, eat right and get sufficient rest, I’m a grumpy resentful individual. If on the other hand I do manage to don said mask, I’m a lot more tolerant and happy go lucky.
Why else should we look after ourselves first? Well, chances are if we don’t, we might get sick and then it’s going to be tough for us to look after our family, or do our work AND get better. We’ll probably live longer in the long run if we take better care of ourselves, subsequently able to help other people and be healthier during our years on this planet.
If you are a parent, you owe it to your children to be available. Anytime we are responsible for ministering to the needs of someone else, we need to first take care of ourselves. As employees don’t we have a responsibility to our employer who is paying us and the people whom we serve to be at our best? Doesn’t a pilot owe it to her passengers to be alert and fully functional? Doesn’t a ball player owe it to his team to be physically fit to give his best performance?
We tend to think that it is a good thing to show up to work when we are ill, to play a game or go to the gym when we are injured, and so on. This means that we may not be as effective or even contagious and certainly are likely to ‘serve’ to a lesser degree.
Of course there may be times when we are not 100% at the top of our game where we will still be effective, but what I am suggesting is that we give greater consideration to the idea of self-care. Sacrificing our own well-being serves no one. A pilot will examine the plane before it takes off; a trucker will make sure that his articulated is in top shape before going cross-country. They both may take better care of their machines than they take care of themselves!
In the world of physical fitness, being fit for life is the most important thing. If you are in pain constantly or can’t function or move as you used to, then it’s time to seek help. Find a fitness professional who excels at corrective exercise, first and foremost, to work out your pain and niggles, so you can be your best possible strong self, day after day!