Most of us are pretty grateful for parents who took good care of our younger selves. They taught us to brush our teeth and be polite. They helped us to develop some unique talents and told us that they loved us. It was an exciting day when we were ready to move out our own, explore the world, and test the limits of our capabilities.

Sometimes, however, without any oversight or regulation, the to-do list gets so long, the financial pressures so much that taking great care of ourselves becomes one of the last priorities in our lives. Many of us spend much of our time and energy caring for spouses, children, and community members before we attend to our own needs. We receive praise by those we serve for being so thoughtful, charitable, and good. So we keep doing it.

Some of us may start to encounter health challenges or experience limits that we have never had before. Some of us get to the point when we realize that if I don’t take care of me, then no body else is going to.

There is a notion that taking care of you first is selfish. I completely disagree with this statement. I believe that the better we can become at taking care of ourselves and being aware of our needs, and immediately responsive to them, we then become the most finely tuned instruments to give and help others. That way we give from something instead of giving from nothing and paying the cost in health and wellbeing.

Consider the following questions and answer on a 10-point scale to evaluate what you are doing great and what you can improve on taking great care of you.

1. Do I get ample sleep?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. Do I drink enough water?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. Do I make ample time to groom myself well?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. Do I eat well?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5. Do I get ample movement through the day?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6. Do I manage my stress well?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7. Do I mange my time with my priorities?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8. Do I know what I am feeling and why?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9. Do I feel prepared financially?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10. Do I have purpose and meaning in my life?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11. Do I spend enjoyable time with others?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12. Do I do things I enjoy in my day?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
13. Do I know how to relax?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
14. Do I make time for relaxation?     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10