First off, I want to apologize. I haven’t blogged this year, and that’s not because I’ve lost interest or forgotten about the Fathership Program and the men who are part of this community. Life just didn’t give me the time. Or maybe, if I’m being honest, I didn’t take the time.
It’s been a hell of a ride so far this year—one that I wouldn’t recommend. My health has been a roller coaster, and ignoring my own needs landed me exactly where I told other men not to end up: in a situation where I had no choice but to stop and deal with it. Seventeen days (so far) of inpatient care, and it’s still not over. My unique condition requires specialized care, and as it turns out, only a handful of doctors in the entire state are equipped to help me. That means more waiting. More delays. More time lost.
And that brings me to what I really want to talk about today: time management and self-care.
The Cost of Ignoring Yourself
We all juggle responsibilities—work, family, relationships, commitments. We push through exhaustion, pain, and stress because there’s always something “more important” to do. But here’s the truth: when we ignore self-care, we’re doing real damage to ourselves. It’s not just about burnout; it’s about real, physical consequences. In my case, I ignored the warning signs, brushed them off, told myself I’d deal with it later. Later turned into a hospital bed.
Self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s survival. And like my medical condition, there’s only one person responsible for it: me. No one else can handle it for me, and no one else is going to schedule that time for me to rest, recover, and take care of my body and mind. The same goes for you.
Making Time for What Matters
The irony is, most of us manage time just fine when it comes to everyone else. We show up for our jobs. We meet deadlines. We handle emergencies. But when it comes to taking care of ourselves, we act like we have all the time in the world—until we don’t.
So here’s the challenge: Stop making self-care optional. Put it on your calendar. Make it as non-negotiable as that work meeting or that bill that has to be paid. Maybe self-care for you means hitting the gym, getting outside, meditating, or just sitting in silence for a while to decompress. Whatever it is, it matters.
I’m learning this lesson the hard way, but you don’t have to. If you’ve been putting yourself last, if you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll deal with it later,” take this as your wake-up call. Later might not wait for you.
Stay strong, take care of yourself, and I promise to keep showing up here, too.
- Todd ThomasFathership Program
Comentarios