In order to effectively help others, we must also take care of ourselves. When the oxygen mask drops down, your job is to put your oxygen mask on first.
Remember the pre-flight instructions from the steward or stewardess on your most recent flight (the instructions you ignored as you settled in)? Those instructions are there for a reason. It is imperative that if there is an emergency and the cabin depressurizes, in order to help the person next to you, your oxygen mask has to be put on first! If you don’t do this, you will pass out before you can help the person next to you. Then you BOTH will be in trouble!
The same is true for life guards. Each life guard must learn to stay safe before trying to help someone in danger. If they don’t keep track of their own safety, they could drown, causing the person they are trying to help to also drown.
To be clear, I am not talking about being selfish. My example is in the context of helping others. By not taking care of yourself, you may be robbing others in the future from receiving your help.
This applies to teachers, therapists, first responders, health care workers, and even parents teaching and working from home in the middle of a pandemic.
Do you pay attention to taking care of yourself while helping others? What parts of yourself are you neglecting? What are the potential consequences if you do not stay healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally? Where are you forgetting to put your oxygen mask on first?- www.rhoadscoaching.com
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