6 Self-Care Mistakes You Might Be Making
You know the importance of self-care, but there are some self-care mistakes you might be making in the process. Don’t worry, we got you!
A woman in a bathtub practicing self-care.
Human life is very hectic and busy nowadays. Everyone is in so much rush that you can't expect anyone else to have the time to provide you with the care you need. That's why you have to do it yourself. Self-care is essential for reaching and maintaining good mental health in these crazy times. But there are certain self-care mistakes you might be making that will prevent you from doing it correctly. If you ask experts, the following six are pretty common and should be avoided.
#1: Procrastination is not self-care
We're starting with some tough love. Let's be honest. With so many self-proclaimed life coaches online saying that it's all about butterflies and rainbows and meditating all day while manifesting your goals - it's understandable and in human nature that your brain will confuse self-care for procrastination. It's also a perfect excuse that will look good enough to your mind when you start putting in the extra effort. However, don't give in. You know that story when a person prayed to God every day to give them million dollars on the lottery, and one day God was so annoyed and yelled from the sky, 'Just pay the lottery ticket, will you?' That's precisely how meditating and manifesting work. It's great to put your mind to some goal and orient yourself strongly towards it. But, without any or just minimal work, you won't get any results. That's the brutal truth.
What to do?
So, while practicing self-love, first make sure that self-care is not an excuse your brain subconsciously makes for any extra effort. We're witnessing many people turning self-care into self-sabotage. Don't be one of them. Keep in mind - proper stimulation is good for your brain. So, don't go to bed at first sight of an obstacle. Self-care has its own time and place.
Stimulation is good for your brain’s health.
#2: Self-care is not 'one-size-fits-all'
The common side-effect of following influencers' advice blindly is following someone else's self-care routine. We're all different. So, it's only logical we all have a different thing that should be included in our self-care. Yes, we can provide some helpful advice on how to relax your mind and relieve stress which works for most people. However, if you want to give yourself the best of the best, you need to do some more digging and listen to your own body and needs. There's no one-size-fits-all here, and the road to success in self-care is very much custom-made.
#3: You treat yourself with unhealthy items
While self-care is all about finding the right amount of self-indulgence, it may be tempting to go overboard. You may eat pizza or your favorite dessert if you've had a difficult day, and it's OK to do so once in a while. But, overeating as a reward for your hard work may be detrimental to your health. Don't let it become a regular part of your routine. It will have the exact opposite impact of what you were hoping for in terms of self-care when this occurs. Rather than getting better, your mental health will begin to deteriorate.
A chocolate bar induces dopamine secretion and joy – but only temporarily.
#4: Skipping self-care
Yes, it's important not to procrastinate in your work and goal-reaching, as we said before. But, it's also important not to procrastinate in self-care. It might be tempting to put self-care activities on the back burner when other "more urgent" tasks arise. As a result, you'll begin to put your well-being and priorities in favor of those of your employer and other obligations. There are many benefits to self-care activities, but if you don't practice regularly, you won't get the full use of any of them. In addition, if you don't achieve the desired outcomes, you'll become disheartened and more inclined to quit.
#5: Overspending is one of the biggest self-care mistakes
Expenditure on self-care may also be a kind of self-sabotage if you overindulge in it. Between pricey skincare products, nail salon visits, massages, etc., self-care expenditures may get out of hand. It may have the opposite impact on your mental health, as self-care happens to have when the expenses start piling up. To minimize overpaying, experts at DubaiPT recommend creating a monthly self-care budget that you can stick to by knowing what's a priority. For example, spending money on a personal trainer is OK if you want to get in shape, but you shouldn't go overboard with fitness outfits.
#6: Having active rest in the middle of an activity
Yes, we all secretly google the price of a ticket to Bali at work when we get fed up with it. But, that doesn't mean it would be a good idea to book a flight in the middle of your path to success. Think about it. Running away from problems never helps - and going on vacation at an inappropriate time would be just that. A vacation is a form of active rest - meaning you're fully aware that you're resting and not feeling guilty about it. But, if you go on a highly desired Zanzibar exploration in the middle of an important task, just to have some rest - you won't be resting. You'll be worrying about how you're supposed to be working and all the possible outcomes. That will only give you stress, and it's defiantly not a definition of self-care.
Kobe Bryant once said, 'Rest at the end, never in the middle. Apply this and use your vacation to the full extent after you slay the work you have.
Skip the self-care mistakes you might be making and start self-caring for real
So, to recapitulate:
Don't procrastinate in the name of self-care
Customize your self-care regime
Don't encourage unhealthy habits
Don't skip self-care
Don't overspend
Don't run away from your problems across the globe
Once you stop with these self-care mistakes you might be making and create an actual healthy and balanced regime for yourself, you'll see an enormous change. It's all about the balance and how you incorporate it into your daily life. If you do it right, you'll increase your potential to do wonders. So, what are you waiting for?
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AUTHOR:
It's Brittany: Brittany Travis is a passionate writer and traveler dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. She also loves staying healthy by cooking healthy meals, going to the gym, and doing yoga. Her life motto is: take care of your body so that it can take care of you!