Everyone has their limit. Many things affect the limit, and it looks different to every person, but it's there. Waiting. Lurking. Unseen and in many cases, dangerously undefined and uncertain.

My limit is usually heralded by tears. Something strikes me a certain way and here come the water works, not because the thing was necessarily that bad, but just because it's too much in that moment. When I'm chugging away on all cylinders, that thing wouldn't have gotten me down.

But take heart, friends. And take heed, for there is a magic thing you and I can do to prevent and lessen this limit-breaking stress. And it's two little words that mean just as much variety in content as does the word ‘limit’:

Self care.

Some people tend to look on self care as ‘coddling’ or ‘sheltering’ or being ‘lazy’ or ‘selfish’. You know what I think is selfish? Running on empty until you crash and burn, therefore causing others to have to pick up your pieces.

My approach to self care is the idea that many small things over time create something big. This goes both ways. Ignoring many small things that hurt eventually build up to something huge and insurmountable. Conversely, many small actions that heal eventually build up to something huge and fortifying.

I'm not talking vacations to Maui and $100 bottles of champagne. I'm talking my favourite slippers instead of cold feet and going to bed when I need to instead of being on Facebook for hours.

I often tell myself I don't have time to do self care. Maybe that's true.

What I really don't have time for, however, is not doing self care.