{"id":74,"date":"2017-01-18T17:31:37","date_gmt":"2017-01-18T17:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/kellycarlson\/?p=74"},"modified":"2017-01-18T17:31:37","modified_gmt":"2017-01-18T17:31:37","slug":"get-off-the-wheel-taking-care-of-yourself-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/kellycarlson\/2017\/01\/18\/get-off-the-wheel-taking-care-of-yourself-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Get off the Wheel – Taking Care of Yourself First"},"content":{"rendered":"
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http:\/\/bit.ly\/SelfFirst<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Have you ever watched a hamster running on a wheel? \u00a0He just runs\u00a0and runs, but eventually he gets tired and hops off for a rest. \u00a0I feel sometimes that in our culture of busyness, we are like those hamsters, vision focused forward to what is coming, blinded to what is going on around us. \u00a0Only, when we get tired, we don’t get off the wheel; we keep going until we are exhausted and our brains are bogged down in a deep fog. \u00a0Over time, this wears us down and the fog becomes a part of our existence that we don’t question. \u00a0It is what it is, right?<\/p>\n

I began my journey to wellness five years ago at a time when I was in a deep, deep fog and feeling utterly disconnected from everyone around me and, especially, from myself. \u00a0As a mother of two young boys, a partner, a teacher, a coach, a facilitator, and a perfectionist, my “To Do List” was never-ending. \u00a0Somewhere at the bottom of the list was “Take care of me” but I never got there. Things have changed so much since then and, over time, I’ve become much better at putting myself first. \u00a0I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned that have helped me to get here.<\/p>\n

TAKING BREAKS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

We don’t take breaks. \u00a0We push through because there is just so much to do, and we believe we don’t have the time. \u00a0We eat at our desks. \u00a0We push ourselves until we are so exhausted there is nothing left over for friends, for family, for ourselves.<\/p>\n