As children, you’re taught to be polite and considerate of others—this might look like entertaining others at parties, putting others before yourself, and perhaps staying silent about your needs in fear that it might be an inconvenience to the people around you.
Internalizing these “people-pleasing” behaviors can be detrimental to your ability to care for your personal needs. After all, how can you show up for others if you aren’t showing up for yourself?
By allowing yourself to take up (much deserved) space, you give yourself the opportunity to understand your feelings and your boundaries. It isn’t easy to undo years (potentially decades) of learned behaviors, but by putting yourself first you can learn how to better communicate your needs to others. At the Diamond Mountain Retreat Center, we can help you discover new techniques that allow you to take up space in your daily life.
Taking up space might look like:
- Saying no to additional work assignments if you already have enough on your plate,
- Taking five minutes to pause what you’re doing and focus on your breath,
- Gathering your thoughts before immediately agreeing with what others think, and
- Not apologizing or saying sorry for daily activities that you believe might be inconvenient to others.
For more information on mindfulness, check out the Diamond Mountain Retreat Center.