We often talk about the importance of self-care, and how looking after yourself and your emotional needs is vital for robust mental health, and it absolutely is! Check out our previous blog on self-love to find out why it’s such a significant factor in overall wellbeing.
It’s so important to take the time to look after yourself, and that includes both physically (such as eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and being active), but also mentally (by nurturing the things that bring us joy, cultivating strong social relationships, and doing things that give us confidence and boost self-esteem). If we don’t, we won’t have the necessary strength and resilience to cope with what life may throw at us.
But what if someone we love is struggling? Or we see the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves and want to do something to help? Humans are, by and large, kind and caring creatures, and most of us will want to help when it’s needed. But if we haven’t cared for ourselves properly, it can be difficult to find the extra emotional capacity. We can risk sacrificing our own wellbeing to support others, which can feel noble but is ultimately unsustainable.
If we have taken the time to create a stable foundation built on our sense of self-worth and resilience, we are much more likely to be in a position where we have reserves in our emotional tank, and this can provide the opportunity to do something amazing. We can take the love, kindness and compassion we have shown ourselves and share it with others.
This can take endless forms – volunteering at a charity, helping an elderly neighbour with their shopping, being a full-time carer for a loved one, or even small random acts of kindness like paying for a strangers’ coffee. The type of support and level of effort will vary, but the key is simple: being generous with our time, money, skills and/or love shows we care, and can make someone else’s life that little bit better. We’re doing something kind to benefit others, and that spreads warmth, love and optimism.
And what’s even more amazing is that, not only have we done a good thing and helped someone else, but we’ve continued to improve our own wellbeing. Altruism (i.e. helping others) can give us a purpose and reward that boosts our self-esteem and confidence, and increases our sense of self-worth – in short, the same benefits that looking after ourselves can bring, with the added bonus that we’ve done some good and brought some positivity to someone else.
But it’s important that we don’t try to support others before we have built a strong foundation for ourselves, otherwise we could end up wrung out and resentful. Make sure you fill your own cup first – only then can it overflow into others.
Photo by Ditto Bowo on Unsplash
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