What's In Your Cup?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”? If you read my post Self-Care isn't Selfish you know exactly what I’m talking about. So often our cups are empty because of the lives we lead. We are overwhelmed with the busyness of life and we have allowed society to tell us what is important, and in most cases taking care of ourselves is not at the top of that list. We have allowed our schedules to get so full that there is no room for us anymore. We have nothing left to give. That is when your cup is empty. When you feel like there is just nothing left of you or just not enough of you. If you’ve ever thought or uttered the words, “I’m just one person, I can’t do it all,” then you know exactly what I mean. 

Routine self-care usually keeps us out of that feeling. It keeps us from getting to a place of burnout, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, etc. But what happens if we allow ourselves to keep pushing instead of maintaining a routine self-care habit? What happens if we just keep taking on one more project? Doing just one more thing? We begin to fill our cups with less than desirable feelings. They are filled with our exhaustion, crabbiness, a short temper, lack of motivation, and negative attitude. We begin to do the bare minimum at our jobs. Maybe we stop interacting with our husbands in a way that fosters a healthy relationship. Maybe we stop taking the time to enjoy the little things. Maybe we quit caring about creating great memories with our kids.

While it is true that you cannot pour from an empty cup, when you allow yourself to push beyond empty, you pour from a cup that is full of pain, frustration, and anger. Instead of clear, cool, spring water, you pour murky, smelly, swamp water. Yuck! No one wants that! And you don’t have to live like that. 

The first step is to recognize what is in your cup. What kind of energy are you putting out into the world today? Is it the energy you’d appreciate receiving if you were on the other end? You know, do unto others as you would have them do unto you? If it is, then great! You are doing a great job and maintaining your peace and balance and living life as Purely You. 

If it isn’t then it’s time to make some changes in your life. It’s time to clear up that cup and purify that water! I know it seems so hard to make these changes. I know you’re first thought is likely something like, “but they all depend on me” or “you just don’t get it, there isn’t time for self-care.” But I do get it. I know how hard it is to take care of yourself, especially when you haven’t done so in a long time. But I also know that you can do hard things. I know that the more often you choose to fill your cup with the good stuff, the easier it becomes to maintain your peace. 

Start today with something small. Maybe just deciding on 5 deep breaths every night before you go to sleep. Maybe listing 10 things you’re grateful for in the morning when you wake up. Maybe it is a warm cup of tea in the evening after everyone has gone to bed for the day. 

Maybe you decide you’re ready for a little extra support and guidance as you begin to fill your cup with love, light, and positivity. If that is the case, I’d love to help you out. Book your Breakthrough Burnout Session today and I’ll help you create a plan for making changes and moving forward in your life!