In this episode, we debunk the myth that self-care is selfish.

Hello, and welcome to another episode. How are you? I hope you’ve been keeping well.

Yesterday I celebrated five years of being in private practice. I took the afternoon off and went to one of my favourite restaurants for lunch. I ordered a delicious bowl of pasta and a glass of wine to celebrate. It was a lovely afternoon. I spent time reflecting on all that has been.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being a part of the journey, and I look forward to all that is ahead.

In the last episode, I mentioned that I was working on a project. If you are on the mailing list or if we are connected on social media, you may have noticed that I am offering a free Self-Care Workshop because I believe self-care is for everybody!

In my line of work as a counsellor, I understand how important self-care is not only for myself and my clients but you also. It may appear that self-care is a preference, but instead, it’s all part of taking care of ourselves well. Self-care is a necessity!

In my comings and goings, I often hear a theme around self-care and that doing something nice for yourself can seem selfish. I am here to tell you differently. Self-care is not being selfish but being self-full. It is about considering ourselves as well as others.

Self-care is not neglecting ourselves or others in the process.

Hmm, do I have your attention?

Are you providing adequate attention to your physical, social, spiritual and psychological wellness?

Are you empowered to take care of your own basic needs?

Self-care is anything we do to take care of ourselves. And yes, there are some things others can do for us, but ultimately, self-care is for us to take responsibility for.

A self-care myth is that self-care is selfish! Do you believe this myth? When you finally do something for yourself, do you feel bad for it? Usually, there is an underlying message as to why we feel this way.

According to Psychology Today, when we neglect self-care, all other areas of our lives are neglected as well, such as our:

• Relationships
• Mental Health
• Productivity
• Creativity
• Resilience

On the slip side, if we self-care, we can better take care of our relationships and mental health. Our productivity and creativity may increase as well as resilience in the face of resistance.

Self-care enhances how we turn up and impacts those around us for the better!

Is there any evidence that self-care is selfish when we see self-care through this lens?

What I appreciate about self-care is that it can look different for each of us. I am not one to tell you how you should practice self-care but rather empower and equip you to establish that for yourself if you wish to.

If you want to learn more about self-care, join me in the FREE Self-care workshop.

I will equip you to understand what self-care is and why it’s important. We will look at the different aspects of wellbeing, some barriers as to why we don’t take care of ourselves like we ought and prioritising pleasant events. To gain more information, click here.

During our time together, we looked at the self-care myth that self-care is selfish. If we have a negative connotation linked to taking care of ourselves, I wonder if we are less likely to take the time and prioritise the care we need to promote wellbeing. I will leave you with that thought, and you take good care of yourself!