Hi,
One of the most popular seminars in Fortune 500 companies is Setting Priorities. That’s because if your priorities are off, your whole life can be off. That can be true when it comes to your role as a supporter to a loved one with bipolar disorder as well. Let me ask you something: Are you taking care of Number One? And I don’t mean that Number One is your loved one. I mean that Number One is YOU. If you don’t take care of yourself first, you won’t be able to take care
of your loved one. You have to have your priorities right, just like they teach in those fancy business seminars. But I’m going to teach you the concepts today.
First of all, let me give you a warning. If you DON’T get your priorities in order, you can suffer.
You can suffer physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Don’t underestimate the power of stress. Stress can be fatal. It is the leading cause of strokes and heart attacks. Stress can lead to depression, which will affect you emotionally. It can also cloud your thinking and your judgment, so it affects you mentally. And it affects your peace of mind, so it affects you spiritually as well. Your life can be in a great deal of turmoil just because of stress if you don’t watch out. And if you don’t get your priorities in order. Have I scared you yet? GOOD. I meant to. I want you to heed my warning, because I want you to be able to be the best supporter you can be. Your loved one is counting on you. Your family is probably counting on you too. But most importantly, YOU are counting on you. You have to be stress-free for YOU. To be the best YOU you can be. That way you can also be the best supporter you can be to your loved one. But only if you take care of Number One first. And that’s YOU.
So the first priority is to take care of yourself physically. That means that you get yourself to the doctor not only when you don’t feel well or when something is wrong with you, but also for regular exams and routine tests to make sure that you’re physically healthy and that everything
stays ok. It also means that you eat a healthy, nutritious diet, low in carbohydrates, fats, and sugars, and that you avoid caffeine and alcohol. You should stick to a good sleep schedule just like your loved one is doing, so that you can be well-rested every day. That means that you go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, and that you sleep for 8-9 hours every night. Loss of sleep isn’t just bad for your loved one, it’s bad for you as well – it keeps you from having the energy you need. And you should exercise at least 3 times a week, even if it’s just walking.
You should also balance your life with things that take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Remember…If you don’t take care of Number One (yourself), you won’t be able to take care of your loved one.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Post responses below
Thank you for the reminder to take care of myself. I hear that over & over again from my family to my doctor. I have high blood pressure so I have to keep that in check. My spouse is bipolar & our son is ADHD and OCD. I work full time and of course it’s demanding. Before I start the evening with my family, I will take 5-10 minutes for me. Also try to go to bed early.
Thanks!
Oh well, sometimes we DO forgot ourselfs, because living with this thing is sometimes really demanding.. yeps, I have my 90minutes with soccer at wen/thu and sat/sun.. then I do not want to hear anything else.. and she does know that.. and so far she has respect that, *crossing fingers* that it still continue. and her do something else what she like on that time.. her own time and mine own time.. we call it.
Thanks!
Dear Friend,
Man did I open up a can of worms with this very topic. I had to stay silent while my friend (someone who I am trying to cultivate as a mate) explained to me that #1 always means You or Me depending on if I’m speaking about Myself again. In this life she explained only Your Creator, Family and Best Friend can relay the importance of paying urself first!
When stress is alleviated because we would have rewared our God-Self sufficient then and only then are we in a position to care for the Others (where I am now) those outside of yourself that need our attention and then eventually back to self.
If one doesn’t have this in mind they can go around and service the entire globe and by the time they get to themselves there is very little left…A hard lesson finally learned.
Prioritize
can’t give unless you have so make sure you are giving yourself first place or plan to be with someone who has already or is not proving that you deserve this very special “position”
I should listen to my best friend more often! Great Advice!!!
You can suffer physically, mentally, emotionally,
and spiritually.
M O M
Me
Others
Me
neat trick huh – take care of number 1 and then you wont seem useless to another who needs you and then back to yourself.
My Dad revealed a secret he learned from His and My MOM
My friend, Trinidad Santisima came to mind when I read this – hopefully she knows that someone sure thinks her a subject of that but she spends countless hours saying a former colleage’s name. Sometimes we love others more than we love ourselves. That happens After reading this she will come to understand what I meant when I say
Today, you know the one you didnt’ like – YOU!!!! and you attracted plenty into your life that convinced you of this. Friend, reprioritize yourself and put yourself first so you can see a You you actually like!