How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Self-Care
Feeling guilty is a normal reaction. It is a warning created by our brain to tell us that we did ‘something wrong’ and therefore, we have to carefully re-examine our behaviour and ‘correct’ those flaws and prevent ourselves from falling into the same mistake again. But feelings of guilt can make us feel embarrassed and unworthy. It often leads to negative emotions that devastate our sense of well-being.
Women in particular, are susceptible to feelings of guilt most especially when it comes to the issue of self-care. But that’s not surprising, experts suggest, as humans are surrounded with ‘overt’ and ‘covert’ messages that discourage them from giving huge attention to their own needs. Thus, when we practise self-care, we become guilty.
But what is self-care and why is it important?
Self-care is a basic necessity. No one could ever give us enough love and attention than ourselves. Being the guardian of our body, we have the sole responsibility to take good care of it and protect it from seen and unseen threats, such as stress and illness. There are many forms of self-care and two of the most common are food and relaxation. Once in a while, we feel a great desire to indulge in our favourite foods, even if we know some of them are not good for our health. We also feel an intense need to relax and unwind, even though that would cost us a fortune.
Practising Self-Care is far different from being Selfish
Many people think that practising self-care makes them ‘selfish’ individuals. They think that the more time they give to their personal needs, the less time is left for others. But self-caring is far different from being self-centred or being narcissist. Just because you pampered yourself with a couple of new clothes, a trip abroad, or a self-treat at an expensive restaurant doesn’t mean you are already being too ‘self-centred’. Pampering yourself and taking good care of it is essential to achieve a well-balanced lifestyle and keep your health on track. A psychotherapist suggests perceiving self-care as a finite resource, like money in the bank. If you don’t have enough of it, you are less likely to share it with others. And if you give it all away, you will be left with nothing until you get bankrupted. Relating this with self-care, you can’t give much care to other people if you, yourself, don’t have it. And if you use it too much and too often, you’ll lose it all and won’t have anything left to invest in.
Dealing with Guilt
Whenever you feel guilty because of self-care, an effective coping strategy would be to think of the consequences of resentment. Psychologists recommend being ‘in the shoes’ of the receiver of help or care. Think about what it feels like to be offered help by someone who later makes loud sighs and indirect comments about how he or he has sacrificed to help you. Surely, you won’t like that kind of feeling.
Just make sure that you don’t over-practise ‘self-care’. As mentioned, it is a finite source that can be hard to earn back once you’ve spent it all away. Always think of the consequences before actually indulging into something. Ask yourself – is it good for my health? Will it make me feel better? Will it promote my well-being?
Self-care is an essential aspect of life. Without it, you can’t be as happy.
Dear Readers,
Have you ever felt guilty because of practising self-care? What did you do to cope with the negative feelings of guilt?
Share your comment below.
©Copyright 2013 by http://www.NaturalTherapyForAll.com Acupuncture Sheffield - All Rights Reserved.