Guilt and shame are all too common reasons why Americans avoid self-care. Nearly one out of every four Americans say they feel guilty when practicing it—making it harder to enjoy it or stick to a proper routine. However, guilt and shame should never come with self-care. On the contrary, self-care is essential to a healthy and long life.
Neglecting self-care means you are only neglecting yourself and the life you want to live. In other words, self-care is self-love and something you should put at the top of your priority list each day and rid of those who allow you to feel shameful for it. Without self-care, you won’t have the proper health to function sustainably and happily.
The following are four reasons why you should never feel guilty about implementing daily self-care habits:
Self-care is About Rejuvenation and Improved Strength
Practicing self-care is finding what you need and want to improve and be as happy as you can throughout life. Next, it seeks education, experiences, and knowledge to be a better person to achieve your goals. Finally, it is finding increased self-confidence, esteem, and compassion to live happier and stress-free.
Self-Care Allows You To Nourish Others Too
Without a proper self-care plan for yourself, you won’t provide or be of service to others. If you are constantly worn out and overworking, you won’t have anything else to give others, nor can you give your best. Taking care of yourself means you can help others thrive too. The more your community thrives, the more you can too.
Self-Care Leads to Increased Productivity and Effectiveness
Taking the time to improve your mental, physical, and emotional help allows you to do and achieve more. It promotes mental clarity to keep you motivated and inspired to keep going after your dreams.
Self-Care Is A Lifestyle Change, and You Deserve to Enjoy It
You deserve to enjoy life just as everyone else does. Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and well-rested, and finding ways to fulfill yourself are important to life. Ensuring your needs are met is not selfish as long as you don’t take or expect to get it from others.
As you can see, feeling guilty or ashamed about performing self-care is a negative perspective to have. It is formed from the opinions of those who are selfish themselves and expect the world to do what they need instead. As long as you don’t take or expect others to give to you, then you are doing what you need to live a healthier, happier, and more sustainable life.