Why You Should Never Feel Guilty for Practicing Self-Care

In yesterday’s post, we touched on the fact that many people feel guilty about spending time and resources on self-care. There are a lot of complex reasons for this in our society. Despite what others may say, you deserve to focus on your own needs. It’s even good for those you love if you take care of yourself. You cannot fill someone else’s cup when your own is empty. So I want to take this opportunity to emphasize why you should not feel guilty about taking care of yourself and encourage you to do so in every area of your life.

It’s not selfish

First and foremost, you need to understand that taking time for yourself is not selfish at all. It may be hard to overcome the attitude that others’ needs are more important than your own, but overcoming this attitude is critical to adequately meeting your own needs. Caring is not a zero-sum concept. If you care about yourself, it doesn’t have to mean that you don’t care about others.

It is necessary

Self-care is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It’s really like comparing yourself to the breathing mask on an airplane. You need to make sure you can breathe before you can help those around you. If you are constantly tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed, you cannot give your best to others. You can’t offer your best to yourself either. Remember that self-care is not selfish.

It is a good example

If you are a parent, investing in self-care is not only good for you but also a good example for your children. Even if you don’t have children, taking time to care for yourself can be inspiring and motivating to those around you. For a stigma to disappear, it must be normalized. As more of us let the world around us know why self-care is important, they may change their minds about the concept as well.

It demands respect

It also sets a precedent for how you want to be treated by others. If you show that you value yourself and that investing time in yourself is worthwhile, they will respond accordingly. Learning to say no and set boundaries is good for your relationships. It shows others how you want to be treated and makes it clear that you consider yourself a priority. There’s no need to feel guilty about it.

It will take some time for you to overcome the messages that society has given you and that you have internalized. With practice, you can see the benefits of self-care and realize that it doesn’t have to involve guilt.