Consider yourself – it could be the best investment you make

Because you simply don’t have time, you do anything for anybody else, but rarely will you do anything for yourself.

Now I’m not talking about “me” time, which apparently our parents didn’t have, I’m talking about investing in your physical and emotional me. Do you really look after yourself?

Think about your car – it needs a clean every now and again, a service, an MOT, oil change, fuel, new brake pads, tyres – we do this without batting an eyelid. We wouldn’t dream of driving to the South of France in a car that had been neglected for 10 years and had done 80,000 miles, would we? But day after day, we expect high output of ourselves with minimal input.

Do you really think about what you eat, drink? Your sleep pattern? What about the outside – good haircut? Clothes? How do you recharge your batteries?

When was the last time you went for a massage or another type of relaxing therapy? Go for a run or fitness class? I’m not saying you have to do all of the above, or spend huge amounts of money that you don’t have. But it is important to question what you consider to be an investment – that is, what makes you feel good, what recharges you.

It’s important also to question why you don’t do these things. If it is that you simply can’t justify spending that on yourself – think about it – what would you spend this money on? If the dog needed that money would you spend it? Probably yes, without hesitation! Then why aren’t you spending it on yourself?

Typically the member of the family who neglects themselves the most is the one that holds it all together – if that is you, what would happen if you broke down like the neglected car? What would you pay to put yourself right or to have avoided it in the first place?

It may be that you don’t feel that you have the time. If that is the case, then you need to become a priority, like all the other people who you find time for.

You are not being selfish, it is perfectly acceptable to recharge your batteries.

If you find it hard, book it in your diary like you would an appointment

■ Andrea Morrison is author of Feel Good Factor in 30 days and owner of York-based Eden House Holistic. www.edenhouse holistic.co.uk