When self-care doesn't work Get treatment for trauma. Self-care is absolutely necessary for all adults to master, but trauma survivors often need more than that to heal. I told my husband that I was going to do one thing every day just for me. I called it radical self-care and I felt really good about it.
I have two young children and don't have much time for myself, so the idea of doing one thing just for myself, every day, certainly seemed radical to me. Based on the previous point, none of us were designed to work 100% all the time. So can you stop trying to “fix what “is broken and stop feelings of guilt? Do everything you can to stop analyzing and overthinking. Remember that sometimes your body and mind just need some time and space to heal.
You don't have to light the incense or take a bath; at its most basic, this can feel like sitting on the couch for a day or two and, instead of feeling lazy, knowing that you're completely resetting your system. It could also mean reminding yourself that you don't need to do it alone and perhaps contacting someone, be it a therapist, a nutritionist, a doctor, etc. Without a doubt, being inspired by the Danish art of being comfortable and welcoming can be a way of practicing self-care. And at the end of the first week, I found myself sitting in the bathroom crying, shaking and hyperventilating, having a total anxiety attack because the time had come to “take care of myself radically”.
If you really want to develop a self-care practice but don't know how to make it work for you, talk to a mental health professional and work together to come up with a plan that will help rather than harm. If your self-care strategies don't hold up, it may be because you lack the foundation of self-love. After years of personal neglect, you may be so anxious and anxious about taking care of yourself that you begin to form unrealistic expectations. Self-care is what you do to take care of your physical and mental health in the best possible way.
You can read about “5 self-care strategies for health professionals”, 5 ways to cope when ambition becomes a source of anxiety and “6 ways to work with stress and not against it”. Kelsey Latimer, from the Center for Discovery in Florida, points out that “self-care is most likely not associated with posting on social networks unless it is a spontaneous publication, since self-care focuses on being in the moment and ignoring social pressures. Even yoga pants, spa menus, vacation packages, smoothie subscriptions, and wine often promise personal care. And while there's a lot of talk about self-care in the nonprofit sector, sometimes taking a day off or going to a yoga class isn't enough.
When you realize the importance of self-care, the decision to shift your focus inward is often made soon after. And this practically ruins the idea that self-care is useful and puts it in the category of triggers. There are some forms of self-care that can be beneficial to everyone, such as getting enough sleep and staying hydrated.