Easier said than done, feeling guilty about taking care of yourself is the last thing you should ever feel.
You are human with your own individual needs, your needs absolutely matter and shouldn’t be taken lightly. However, so many of us feel bad when we begin addressing our needs.
Self-care is important to your well-being because it allows you to focus on your own needs without feeling guilty. This time and space for yourself are essential in order to recharge and be your best self for those around you.
When you take the time for self-care, you are not only honoring your needs but also setting an example for others on how to care for themselves.
In this blog post, I will discuss how to stop feeling guilty about self-care and why self-care is important for your overall well-being.
I will also provide some tips on how to make self-care a priority in your life. Lastly, I will encourage you to not let guilt get in the way of caring for yourself.
5 Practical Ways To Work Through Self-Care Guilt
The practical ways I will be listing are here to guide you and are not meant to be an exhaustive list. Everyone will have their own way of working through self-care guilt, find what works best for you, and go from there!
This is the number one thing you need to remember: don’t feel guilty for doing what’s best for you. It is your right and responsibility to take care of yourself, and no one should make you feel bad for it.
1. Make A List Of Reasons Why Self-Care Is Important To You
When it comes to feeling guilty about taking care of yourself, start by writing down a list of reasons why self-care is important to you.
This can be anything from feeling more productive at work to feeling happier and more relaxed in your personal life or because falling in love with taking care of yourself matters to you.
Using a day like self-care Sunday to see your reasons in writing can help remind you why it’s important to make self-care a priority.
2. Set Realistic Goals For Yourself
When it comes to self-care, don’t strive for perfection. Instead, set realistic goals for yourself and try to stick to them as best you can. This way, you won’t feel so guilty if something comes up and you can’t complete all of your self-care goals for the day.
In January of this year, I wrote a blog post about creating a systematic approach to setting goals that you are more likely to achieve. It feels good to look at goals that you completed and to reflect on what helped you be successful, so feel free to check it out.
3. Give Yourself Time To Recharge
One of the main benefits of self-care is that it allows you to recharge and take a break from the world. This is essential in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
The same goes for self-care. It’s not something that you can do once and be done with it. You need to make time for yourself on a regular basis in order to reap the benefits.
Think about the last time you felt really good and had a lot of energy. Chances are, you took some time for self-care in the days leading up to it.
Self-Care isn’t a one-and-done deal. Self-care is something you have to work on consistently in order to see results.
4. Practice Self-Compassion
When it comes to feeling guilty about self-care, one of the biggest obstacles can be self-judgment. We are often our own harshest critics and this can get in the way of taking care of ourselves.
Self-care isn’t something that you should resort to like a crisis health plan. I strongly encourage you to get behind this and be your own number-one fan by choosing yourself over and over again.
Start by practicing self-compassion and being gentle with yourself. Remember that you are doing the best you can and that is enough.
Some self-compassion examples include:
– Speaking to yourself in a gentle and caring voice
– Giving yourself permission to make mistakes
– Treating yourself with the same kindness and respect you would show to a friend
– Taking time for self-care even when you don’t feel like it
– Accepting that you are imperfect and that’s okay.
5. Talk To Someone About Your Feelings of Guilt
Have you ever had thoughts like, “why do I feel guilty for being happy? or why do I feel guilty for no reason?”
If you find that you’re struggling to overcome feelings of guilt about self-care, talking to someone about it can be helpful.
Talking to a friend, family member or therapist can allow you to express what’s going on and get some feedback.
Doing this can help lessen the feeling of guilt and make it easier for you to take care of yourself. If you find it difficult to stop feeling guilty about self-care, talking to someone about it can be helpful.
How To Put Yourself First Without Feeling Guilty
Self-care is essential for your well-being and you should never feel guilty for taking care of yourself. If you’re feeling guilty about self-care, these tips should help you work through those feelings and make taking care of yourself a priority.
Remember, it is your right to take care of yourself and you should not feel bad about it. Just make sure that self-care remains a priority in your life by making time for it each day.
Talk to someone about your feelings of guilt if you find that they are getting in the way of you taking care of yourself. When you make self-care a priority, you’ll be able to better manage your guilt and start feeling better in your own skin.
