Want a more joyful life?

Dara Laine Murray
2 min readMar 24, 2022

Put yourself first.

As busy people: partners, professionals, and/or parents, we can feel isolated in our day-to-day activities. A lot is demanded of us, and it can be overwhelming.

That’s why it’s crucial to set aside designated time for ourselves.

Because we deserve to rest. No secondary reason is necessary.

We live, and therefore we must rest.

Yet, so many of us feel that prioritizing ourselves is selfish. (Thanks, society!)

Womxn have been told through media, societal structures, and history that our duty is to support, nurture and care for others.

What about caring for ourselves?

“Of course,” Society says, “absolutely take care of yourself. You must fill up your cup before you can pour into others.”

So, even our mental and physical health is only a priority when we can continue to serve others. It’s bullsh*t.

This is your invitation to be selfish.

Self-prioritization is crucial to healthy living. Putting yourself above others when you need rest is positive, not self-indulgent or self-centered. We all must draw boundaries to protect our mental and physical…

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Dara Laine Murray

Multi-passionate sobriety writer on Medium. Day job: Director of Research at a nonprofit. Stories = sober + stats. Editor: https://medium.com/modern-sobriety