"In case of the loss of cabin pressure, put on your own oxygen mask first before assisting others."
If you fly on commercial planes, you've heard this statement from a flight attendant many times, instructing you to take care of your safety first so you have the ability to help someone else.
This is necessary for survival on a flight, but it's also an essential practice for daily life -- take care of yourself first. It sounds nice, but in reality it's difficult to practice.
Like most of us, you probably hit the ground running when the alarm clock rings. Whether it's tending to kids, racing off to work, or going to school, your day starts early and is filled to the brim with tasks and obligations.
There's always something on your list of things to be done, a list that keeps expanding no matter how hard you try to get ahead of the curve.
Your digital devices keep you constantly plugged in and distracted, worrying that you are missing something important and dragging you into a vortex of information overload.
In Western culture in particular, we equate our self-worth to productivity and hard work. Many of us (women in particular) feel we are being selfish if we don't put the needs of others ahead of our own all the time.
We become addicted to people pleasing in order to feel validated.
But all of this productivity, multi-tasking, and people pleasing comes at a cost --your mental and physical health. Not only do you jeopardize your health, but also you miss out on the joys of fully experiencing life.
Can you give yourself permission to step back and reclaim some of your life? Are you willing to take better care of your own physical, mental, and emotional needs so you have the energy for the people you love, your work, and your life obligations?
Barrie is a 
