Often, people believe self-care isn’t particularly important. They think it’s not something that needs to be done, especially when there is so much else to do and so many other people to care for in their lives. That’s why so many people neglect their own self-care.
The crucial thing to remember is that self-care is important; it is something that you need to do, and you should never neglect it. If you want to help others, you need to help yourself first, only then will you be in better shape to be there for someone else. If you neglect yourself, you will become unwell, even depressed. Therefore, it’s time to stop neglecting yourself and re-start your self-care. Here are some ways you can do it.
Ask For Help
Sometimes it is impossible to do things on your own, and you might be making yourself more unwell or stressed by trying to manage everything by yourself. In these cases, it is wise to ask for help before restarting your self-care routine. It might be professional help from a therapist, from the-medical-negligence-experts.co.uk should you suffer from misdiagnosis or negligence by your doctor, from a nutritionist, or maybe a personal trainer. Or it could be help from friends and family.
Getting advice on where to start or what to do can be incredibly useful and prevent you from hurting yourself or going about things the wrong way. Getting advice can also be a form of self-care. By talking through your concerns and worries and listening to the options presented, you will start to feel better.
Start Small
If you notice that you have been neglecting your self-care, then it can be a worry, and you might feel you can and should just go back to what you were doing before, or even push yourself further if you are concerned that you have been forgotten your own health. This isn’t the ideal way to do things; by jumping back in, you can give yourself too much to think about and do, and this can be harmful.
Instead, you will need to start small. If you haven’t been exercising, for example, start gently and work up to where you were before. If you were giving up cigarettes but started smoking again, don’t go cold turkey but instead give up a little at a time. It may be slower progress, but it is the best way to do it if you want to achieve something.
Do Your Best
Doing your best is an excellent form of self-care. It will show you what you are capable of and where you can improve. Trying to be a perfectionist is not a good idea; this can be disappointing, and can make you feel like a failure. It can mean that you don’t want to continue and that is even worse.
Knowing that you are doing your best will make you feel much happier than striving for perfection and not quite reaching it. However, remember that your best won’t stand still. You will be able to slowly but surely improve, and that is something that you should always try to do.
Mandy X
Photo by Hean Prinsloo on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
