you can't pour from an empty cup

English

Etymology

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Proverb

you can't pour from an empty cup

1. In order to be able to provide other people with emotional support, one must take care of one's own mental health.
   • 2017 September 18, Camille Darroux, “How yoga and meditation can help social care workers deal with trauma”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     This view is shared widely across the industry, including by London-based yoga teacher Kat Achtelik, who participated in several NGO-led projects in Asia before moving to the UK. For her, practicing yoga and meditation comes down to self-love: “You cannot pour from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself first, before catering for others.”