Pause for Wellness: Giving yourself permission

In Pause for Wellness, people in the Interior Health community share their personal stories, journeys, and insights about health and well-being.

With the help of some amazing mental health professionals and a lot of reading, I’ve been learning about who I am and understanding my "authentic self".

Lately, I’ve been thinking more about why I don't always live and behave like that person. And I've started to understand that permission has been getting in my way.

I have three young kids at home and the topic of permission comes up a lot. Whether it's permission to stay up late, to go on a field trip or have a second cookie, my kids look to me for permission to do things pretty regularly.

So I'm wondering, if I'm the parent, who do I look to for permission to be my authentic self? 

It turns out the answer is pretty simple and you don't have to go far to get it. You don’t need anyone’s permission but your own. 

Whether it’s permission to walk away, permission to try something else, or permission to try again; you have it. You only need to decide to give it to yourself. 

About the author

Hi! My name is Megan and I'm part of the communications team at Interior Health. I live in Kelowna, on the beautiful lands of the Syilx peoples. The Interior Health value that means the most to me is compassion. I think compassion starts at home, with our families and ourselves. And I love being part of an organization where we're encouraged to bring compassion to work each day and to use it to make a difference in the lives of the people we meet.