Do you know the number one reason coaches, teachers, healers, lightworkers and other service-based leaders get to that place of overwhelm and burnout? The one where they just want to quite. Throw in the towel. Give up. Do something else.
Self-care. Or, more specifically, lack of self-care.
You’re often so willing to jump in and support others, hold space for them, walk through fire with them, get in the trenches with them, that you don’t offer yourself that same support. You come last. You give and you give and give. And yes, on the one hand, it’s so magical and rewarding. It’s simply amazing to see your clients transform and grow and heal. I get it.
And it’s not sustainable. You can’t put everyone and everything else first and expect to not become depleted — emotionally, physically and energetically.
The ONLY way to truly have the energy, the freedom, the well-being that you absolutely require to do the work you’re here to do on this planet, is to take care of YOU.
FIRST.
I’ve been a coach (officially) since 2003 and when I left everything else behind in the fall of 2013 to do coaching full time, I wanted to help everyone! I had over 30 one-one-one clients I was working with.
Now, on some level, I understood the need to create space for myself and so I divided them up into 2 groups and met with half of them on weeks 1 and 3 each month and the other half I worked with on weeks 2 and 4 of the month. So each client met with me every other week. It was great for them!
But I was still seeing 15 clients per week! Sure, I had some buffer space in between each client and only saw about 4 to 5 clients per day, but it was A LOT of work! A lot of energy.
And within about 8 months, I knew there was NO WAY I could sustain that. I was tired — no, I was exhausted. I was exhausted and falling apart. I was worried that I couldn’t support my clients fully. Clients I dearly loved and enjoyed working with.
So, I drastically changed my coaching model. I ramped up my self-care routines. Gave myself way more space and time out each day. And then, I did something really drastic. . .
I started taking ONE ENTIRE WEEK off every single month!
And my clients didn’t get mad! We went to a 3 week per month schedule and everyone LOVED it. They were inspired by it. Now my clients all look forward to that integration week and many have incorporated it into their lives as well.
Here’s the thing:
You can’t help others if you’re depleted. You must fill up your well to the point of overflowing so that you can serve in the way you’re called to serve.
The more you fill yourself up and take care of YOU — your most important asset — the more you have to give to others. It doesn’t take anything away from them.
See, we often think that if we take more time for ourselves, we won’t have enough to give to others. Or that if we slow down and take more time for ourselves, everyone will leave us. And that’s just not true.
I encourage you to become fiercely protective of your time and space and energy. Create super solid boundaries and self-care rituals that allow you serve at full capacity without burning yourself out and feeling overwhelmed.
It’s doable. If I can do it, you can do it. ?
And if you need support around this, I’d love to connect with you. Click the link below and let’s setup a conversation.
xo ~Annie
Ready for the next step?
If you’re ready to embody your message and your mission on this planet, I’d love to speak with you. Fill out the application on my website and I’ll be in touch to setup a conversation. https://annieanderson.com/new-application/
Originally published at medium.com