Self-Preservation Mode

If you come to the realization that you are over-extending yourself in multiple areas of your life without multiple sources of replenishment. Then this is a sign to activate self-preservation mode to save yourself from the negative impacts over-extending yourself can have on your holistic existence. This is about ensuring that your wellness, capacity to care for yourself, and ability to thrive remain intact no matter the circumstance. You are responsible for safeguarding yourself from being depleted because you have always been the one to show up, support, care for, counsel, coach, help, and be strong for others at your own expense. Make no mistake that this is not a post promoting self-serving, selfishness, and not doing life well with others. It does serve as a reminder to take time to still away to nurture, replenish, and focus on showing up for yourself for periods of time when there have been repeated cycles of self-negligence.

Stewarding yourself well is an entire ministry and a continuous practice that improves the more you grow in self-awareness. In order to run and not grow weary, it is important to reflect and accept the truth that self-preservation mode is what you may need in this season of life. It is hard to live fulfilled and joyfully if you disregard your feelings of fatigue without a plan to confront them. These can be feelings of decision fatigue, work fatigue, relationship and people fatigue, emotional fatigue, and so forth. Feelings are a wonderful human gift because they act as indicators that something needs our inner-attention and without them we would be oblivious. You have the personal right to proclaim this is your season of self-preservation as you realize you are at capacity and need to give yourself some extra love/care in order to keep showing up as your best. Set a time limit for self-preservation mode (ex. 3-6 months), so that you do not allow yourself to remain planted there. You have so many beautiful things ahead of you that require you to be whole and well.

Joy Gem: “Investing time in your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being is an act of self-preservation.” - Dr. Whitney Gordon-Mead