Self-care is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but it can be easy to confuse it with selfishness. Self-care is done with the intention of caring for yourself, not with the intention of harming or taking away from others. It is about replenishing your resources without exhausting someone else's. Practicing self-care is like putting gas in a car's tank - without it, you won't be able to function properly.
At its core, self-care is about filling up so that you can be the best version of yourself. Selfishness, on the other hand, reflects the “me first” attitude that determines how much you can get for yourself (often at the expense of others). It is important to understand the difference between these two concepts and to practice self-care in moderation. Guilt isn't a good indicator of when self-care turns to selfishness, as it can be easy to feel guilty most of the time anyway.
Self-care solidifies a positive relationship with yourself by producing feelings of worth, self-esteem and creating a stronger connection with others as you become more grounded in what you need and want. It can be beneficial to be a little selfish when it comes to taking care of your emotional, mental and physical well-being. A 2000 study found that adults over 65 who practiced personal care showed signs of better health and decreased spending on Medicare. Self-care first caught my attention in an episode of severe depression, when it was a real struggle to even take a shower or prepare a meal.
Geeta mentions that self-care benefits everyone, as it rejuvenates your mind and makes you feel able to communicate with those around you, being a better version of you. Enjoying a bowl of ice cream or buying a new outfit because it's already been that kind of week is perfectly fine - just keep yourself under control so that your personal comfort doesn't go against your personal care.
