put one's oxygen mask on first

Verb

put one's own oxygen mask on first (third-person singular simple present puts one's own oxygen mask on first, present participle putting one's own oxygen mask on first, simple past and past participle put one's own oxygen mask on first)

1. (idiomatic, self-help) To practice self-care and focus on one's own needs to avoid burnout when caring for others.
   • “When I first said, ‘OK, how do I give back?’ my integrated therapy doctor told me to put my own oxygen mask on first, so to speak.”2016 August 11, Amy Laskowski, quoting Caroline Moore-Kochlacs, “Wearing 100 Hats over 100 Days”, in BU Today, archived from the original on 27 Mar 2025