Do you find that you want to take care of yourself or practice self-care, but you feel guilty?
Check out this episode to find out how you can take care of yourself without feeling guilty.
What is self-care?
Self-care is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve your own health. Whether it be your mental, physical or emotional health.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be pedicures and bubble baths. But it could definitely be that if that’s what you need.
Self-care is all about taking care of you and making sure you’re at your best so you can give your best to those around you.
Why self-care is important
Self-care is important to practice daily. But why is self-care so important?
Check out these reasons why.
You can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself
Self-care is all about making sure that your cup is full so that you can give it to others. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Here is an awesome way to make sure that your cup stays full.
Do you want to be resentful?
If you’re giving and taking care of everyone else around you and neglecting yourself in the process, you can end up being resentful towards those that you’re caring for.
Imagine a mom who is caring for her kids and her husband day in, day out.
Every day she does all she can to take care of her family. While she is doing everything and never making time for herself, her kids and husband have a good time and enjoy their life.
After a while, she looks at her situation and wishes that she could have a good time like her kids and husband.
Then she starts resenting the fact that she has to cook and clean and take care of everyone around her.
So don’t be like that mom that gets resentful. By the way, this mom was me. But not me anymore!
Understand self-care is not pampering (but it can be)
Self-care is more about taking care of you. In all aspects.
Once you are cared for, you are refreshed and able to pour into others.
How to care for yourself without feeling guilty
You know what self-care is all about, but whenever you want to practice self-care you feel guilty.
How do you care for yourself without feeling guilty?
Check out these tips.
Make time for yourself
One of the ways to take care of yourself without feeling guilty is to make time for yourself.
This may mean blocking out time just for you. This ensures that there is your time in your schedule just for you.
It can be blocked out time that you put on your calendar. Or it could be time that you have for yourself every morning.
It could be a specific day that you take time just for yourself.
I am a huge believer in waking up before the kids to have time for yourself.
This is the perfect time to have quiet time before everyone gets up so that you can take care of all the things that you want to do.
Remember to put yourself on the schedule and make time for yourself. This is an easy way to eliminate guilt.
Understand why you feel guilty
You want to understand why he felt guilty.
Do you feel guilty because you know that there are things that are left undone?
Do you feel guilty because you feel like you haven’t spent enough time with their kids?
Whatever the case may be, identify why you feel guilty.
If you feel guilty because you’re not spending enough time with your kids, try to make sure that you spend quality time with their kids.
If you’re spending time with your kids, but you’re on your phone or you’re really just watching TV and not paying them any attention, yes, you’re spending time with them.
But is it really quality time?
Be present in the moment when you are spending time with them. When you’re away from them, you don’t feel so bad.
If you’re feeling guilty because you have things left undone.
I say put it on the to-do list and get to it later. You can’t get everything done all in one day.
If anything, delegate. Get someone to help you. Everything can’t be done in one day.
Make a suggestion
Now, one of the biggest things that I have seen is you actually have plans or you have at least be intent to do something for yourself.
But something comes up. Someone asks you to help them with a project. Your kids ask you to help with their homework.
If someone asks you to come to an event and then those plans that you had or the intentions that you had are gone.
So one way to help with that is to make a suggestion.
Because you want to take care of yourself, but at the same time, you don’t want to say no.
Instead of feeling guilty about it, make a suggestion and say “I can’t help you with your homework right now, but if you give me 20 minutes, I’ll be able to help you with you.”
Or you can suggest to your friend, “Hey, you know what? I can’t make it to the event this time, but next time let me know and I’ll definitely be there.”
This way you don’t feel guilty about not getting your self-care in and the other person doesn’t feel let down.
Conclusion
Remember, you don’t owe anyone an explanation.
If your friends or coworkers or giving you a hard time, don’t feel like you have to explain anything.
Make time for yourself, understand why you feel guilty and make suggestions if you need to so that you can eliminate the guilty about taking care of yourself.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- The Power Hour by Kimberly from Cherished Wives
- Episode 15: 20 Self-care Ideas That Cost No Money
- Episode 6: Find Clarity and Enjoy Mama Bliss
- Self-Care Ideas for Moms
- Nightly Self-Care Routine
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