Self-Care gets a bad rep because it’s overcomplicated. As a society we have so many different views of what it means to take care of ourselves.
And some of those ideas are just myths!
I want to set these myths straight and tell you what self-care really is.
Here are some common myths we hear about self-care:
1. Self-Care is massages and pedicures.
Wrong! It’s so much more! Let’s take a look at the word itself…
SELF = YOU
CARE = TO HAVE THOUGHT OR REGARD
So self-care means that you have thought or regard for yourself. That means more than just massages and pedicures, right? You have so many ways you can have thought or regard for yourself.
Maybe that’s massages or pedicures, but maybe not.
Some people don’t have the money or time to get a massage or pedicure (we’ll talk about this next). But just because someone doesn’t have time or money for massages or pedicures does not mean they cannot take care of themselves.
Another reason this proves false is that massages and pedicures do not work for some people like it does for others. Different types of self-care work for different people.
We just have to find other options that work best for us.
2. Self-Care takes a lot of time.
When I started my journey to taking care of myself, I believed this lie. I thought I didn’t have time for self-care. I mean, I was in grad school, working full-time, and I was in a serious relationship.
Who has time for self-care??
Little did I know I really need it! The busier you are, the more you need to take care of yourself.
I learned my lesson when I burnt out and had to start creating boundaries and taking action to care for myself.
What I learned is self-care does not take all the time in the world. It’s not about how much time it takes, it’s about how well you are taking care of yourself and that you are taking action to do so.
There is not amount of time you “have” to spend taking care of yourself. You just have to do what’s best for you.
3. Self-Care costs money.
Here’s the thing… self-care does NOT have to cost money. It really doesn’t have to cost anything at all.
We live in a society consumed by money. Almost everything we do revolves around money. But taking care of ourselves does not have to.
We see ads for “self-care products” and assume because someone else uses it we must too.
But remember… you are an individual! What works for someone else might not work for you.
And that may or may not cost money.
Money is not the important matter.
What matters is whether you are 1) thinking of yourself and 2) taking action to feel good in your body.
Don’t overthink self-care. It can be as simple as washing your face.
4. Self-Care means neglecting others.
I say this all the time but I will say it again and again…
YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS.
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
You can’t give your best to others if you haven’t given your best to yourself.
If you are burnt out, how are you going to take care of others?
You are NOT neglecting others when you take care of yourself…
You ARE taking care of others when you take care of yourself!
5. I don’t know how to take care of myself.
The truth about learning how to take care of ourselves is finding what works for us INDIVIDUALLY.
I want you to think about this…
What makes your body feel good?
What makes your mind feel relaxed?
How do you let out your emotions?
The answer to these questions is how YOU take care of yourself.
The answer is in you. Just listen to yourself and your body.
Self-Care is not a reward. It’s necessary.
In order to be our best, healthiest, happiest selves, we have to learn to take care of ourselves.
Self-Care has become an afterthought in our society.
It’s time to make it a PRIORITY!
I’m talking more about how you can do this for YOU in my life training this Tuesday, May 24th, at 7pm CST. Let’s learn how we can take care of ourselves in a way that works for us!
You can register for the training here.
