Self-care is first care

This turtle is headed to his destination by any means necessary. Where are you headed? As you can see this turtle packed light. He was free to stop, rest, and move without anything restricting him. What is holding you back from getting to your destination? Maybe you are stuck at one spot and you’re unable to move forward. If something is holding you back emotionally, it may be time to unpack your emotional baggage.  I was talking to a friend the other day who is a professional counselor. She shared with me that she was recently doing a presentation with her interns.  She was encouraging them to work through anything that they had not “processed” yet in their personal life. While she was talking to her interns, she realized that she was actually talking to herself. She was open and honest and shared with me that she still had not made time to unpack her own emotional baggage.

As I listened to her, I couldn’t help but wonder if there would ever be a good time to unpack her emotional baggage. The thought and fear of acknowledging our emotions can cause distress, fatigue, and anxiety. It may even be extremely uncomfortable. There is no guarantee that when you decide to unpack your emotional baggage that you will gain self-awareness and insight. However, the freedom that is waiting on the other side can be life changing. Carrying around emotional baggage tends to affect many different areas of your life. It may affect your relationships with yourself and with others. You may have been thinking about unpacking your baggage for a long time. When will you be ready?

The truth is there will never be a good time to unpack because there will always be something going on in your life. What is that "something" for you right now that is keeping you from unpacking your emotional baggage? Some baggage is light and can be easily unpacked. Some is heavy and may require help from a professional therapist who may provide you with the tools that you need to unpack and find inner peace.  I like this quote by Zig Ziglar, “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” The best is yet to come. Self-care is first care, and it begins with you acknowledging it is time to unpack your baggage.