Last week on Instagram I saw a woman wearing a shirt that said, “Let me drop everything & work on your problem.”
I was taken aback. Yes, the message was tongue-in-cheek, but it struck a real cord with me.
The person who dropped everything and put others' needs first, that used to me.
I would stress myself out if I didn’t immediately respond to a text or an email. Changing my plans and bending over backwards to give others what they needed, and quickly, was how I rolled.
Putting my needs, priorities, and boundaries on the back burner, I'd create a sense of urgency in everything I did in order to reinforce my self-imposed label of “the responsible one” or “the reliable one” or "perfectionist."
It wasn’t that I didn’t value myself or my needs, but rather I was attached to these labels; they perpetuated expectations I'd placed upon myself and how I showed up in the world.
My loyalty and dedication to giving, excelling, and supporting others was to the detriment of my own emotional and physical health.
Ignoring myself and my needs became harmful to my wellbeing until I became aware of the impact of these labels and I began setting healthy boundaries. Yay boundaries!
So, what labels do you attach to?
In tomorrow’s episode of my podcast, Positively Anti-Inflammatory, (episode 10) “Attachment to Labels” I discuss the labels we attach to and how these labels impact what we believe about ourselves, our identity, our capabilities, and our roles in life.
I share how an attachment to a label can bring a sense of belonging and, on the other hand, how it can prevent you from doing or achieving because of limiting thoughts or judgements around that label.
I provide two exercises to help you identify how your attachment to labels can affect your belief about yourself as well as impact your actions and your results in life. Once identified, that awareness will help you let go of any unhealthy labels and build on the beneficial ones.
Listen and subscribe to Positively Anti-Inflammatory wherever you find podcasts including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Love, Your Wellness Coach,
Alyssa
P.S. Ready to improve your health and wellbeing? Want to work with me? Set up a FREE discovery call.
March 2, 2021