Put on your oxygen mask

I don’t know about you, but December was quite a month!

I suppose for most of you, December was packed to the brim with Christmas shopping, wrapping, baking, parties, school programs and visiting every relative within the tri-state area.

Or maybe this was an especially difficult season for you due to sad memories, missing loved ones or other significant losses.

Or maybe your month was more like mine. It began busy with the remodel of The Connection’s new home and then came to an abrupt halt when I came down with a virus. I turned into Rip VanWinkle and slept for a few weeks while the rest of the world kept on going without me.

Any way that it goes down, December always seems to be a crazy month. And then, January comes along.

January is a time to recoup. Catch up. Contemplate the new year to come.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

It’s time to reevaluate.

What do you need to do differently to make a better life for yourself?

Are you taking care of you? Or like many of us, do you spend 99% of your time focused on busyness and caring for others?

That old analogy of first putting on your own oxygen mask before caring for those around you, is the perfect reminder of how we need to prioritize.

Self-care seems to be a hot topic right now – and for good reason. We have allowed busyness and our desire to do it all to take over. We have developed the idea that idleness equals laziness. Doing more makes us worth more.

All lies!

If you set no other goals for yourself this year, set one to stop and consider your yes’s and no’s as you make decisions on how to spend your time.

Here’s a great way to help you re-think and re-prioritize…

Check out Jen Roland’s blog series, CULTIVATE. It has tons of awesome posts looking at this topic from all angles and lifestages.

I’m praying that you (and I) will make choices this year that are healthier for us body, soul and spirit.

Mandy Hood

Mandy is a board member and executive director of The Connection. She loves to facilitate women connecting with each other and helping them grow in their faith.

Mandy and her husband have been married for 39 years and have 2 adult children, 2 in-law children and 3 grandchildren.