87% of Americans are experiencing high stress from various sources (Stress in America’ poll by American Psychological Association)
Work Stress Is At An All Time High
- 94% say they experience stress at work
- 63% of U.S. workers report wanting to quit their jobs because of the stress it brings
- About 1 million Americans stay home from work each day as a result of stress
- 55% of Americans feel stressed out during the day
(https://www.stress.org/daily-life)
Is A Lack Of Self-Care The Problem?
If you are feeling worn down, stressed, or even ill, and you can’t seem to pinpoint the cause, you might be neglecting self-care. Self-care isn’t just about vacations, facials, and spa days; it’s about prioritizing your well-being in every aspect of your life.
Your health should always come first, so if you neglect it when you get busy with work or family obligations, it’s time to take stock of your self-care routines to ensure they meet your needs in all areas of your life.
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care is all about taking care of yourself. It’s doing things that make you feel happy, healthy, and nurtured so that you have the energy to enjoy life. It can also help you feel more confident, emotionally regulated, and productive.
Even though it sounds selfish or materialistic at first, it’s anything but that! When you take time to work on your needs instead of focusing on other people’s needs for a change, you’ll be a much better partner or parent in the long run.
How Important Is Self-Care?
While self-care might seem vague, it’s one of the most powerful things you can do to protect your physical and mental health. There are many ways to care for yourself, whether through self-compassion, sleep, creative expression, healthy diet, exercise, regular relaxation, stress reduction and many other ways.
The key is knowing what self-care activity works best for you and then implementing it in your daily life. Here are six signs that may indicate that you’re neglecting self-care
5 Common Signs Of Neglecting Self-Care
One of the first signs that you might be neglecting self-care is a general state of unhappiness. If you feel generally unhappy or find it difficult to enjoy your life, this is likely a sign that you need to make some changes.
Feeling worn down, exhausted stressed, or even get sick a lot. A lack of self-care often manifests in our bodies, where we begin to feel very tired and unwell a lot.
Mental burnout is another sign of a lack of self-care. Mental burnout often happens with prolonged periods of stress, lack of personal attention to one’s health and wellbeing and working much more than relaxing.
Another common sign is an inability to care for yourself at all. This can include taking too long or being unable to care for basic needs like eating or hydrating oneself. Unpaid bills, insufficient sleep, and physical problems are other signs that self-care might be lacking in one’s life.
Another sign is you often think you have no time for yourself. We often neglect self-care because we are too busy worrying about everyone else’s. We sometimes feel like we don’t deserve to take care of ourselves or that if we take time for ourselves, we won’t be able to handle what life throws at us. Whatever the reason, taking time for yourself is one of the most important things you can do to remain healthy and happy.
Why Is Neglecting Self-Care Such An Important Issue?
The reason why neglecting self-care is such a problem is that it leads to serious consequences. When someone doesn’t properly take care of themselves, they often become sicker than they would have been otherwise.
They also might experience depression and anxiety, which cause even more problems than the ones mentioned above.
The good news is that there are ways to tell if you’re neglecting self-care, and there are ways to get back on track! So, if you think you’re guilty of any (or more) signs mentioned here, consider making some changes today! Your mental health will thank you later.
Stop Beating Yourself Up About It
Since being self-aware has become so popular, judging yourself for lacking the necessary self-care habits is easy. It’s tempting to beat yourself up and think you’re a bad person because you’re not meditating or spending an hour every day stretching or whatever. But these are just things–fancy things that make people feel good–not requirements of life.
And while we should work towards incorporating more meaningful rituals into our lives, we must stop feeling bad about ourselves when they’re not there. All of this is manageable.
How to Rekindle Your Desire for Self-Care
1. Reflect on your intentions. In the same way, you have goals for your life, career, and relationships; you should also have goals for self-care. Put this in writing or list the goals you want to accomplish by the end of a certain date.
2. Determine what works best for you. Everybody’s different regarding time and energy, so everybody has different schedules that work best with their personal needs.
For some people taking time out of their day every day is necessary; if others find that impossible and try it anyway, they may be left feeling more stressed and anxious than before because they are trying to force themselves into an unrealistic routine that doesn’t work with their personality or schedule.
Are you taking time for yourself?
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