How to Maximize Your Self-Care- Are You a Self-Care Cliché?
Hello everyone!
Today we are talking about what self-care means!
Over the years, the definition of self-care has been deluded into over-spending, over-indulgence, and procrastination.
Self-care is formally defined as, “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health” (Oxford Languages). This means self-care is the action of improving the quality of your life in the long run- not short-term satisfaction. Do not use the term self-care to cover up your bad habits!
Find out if you fall into any of these self-care cliché categories!
Let’s get into it!
1. Eating Junk Food
We love a good pizza BUT this does not mean we eat pizza every day as a means of self-care! Eating food that does not have much nutritional value is not wrong at all! Although this is true, if you find yourself excusing your bad eating habits because you had a long day or because you’re feeling very stressed, you need to employ some new habits in your life!
The proper self-care version of eating junk food would be allocating time to cook yourself healthy and delicious meals.
2. Overspending
Does your self-care involve spending money on things you don’t need or can’t afford? If so, you are a self-care cliché! Do not use self-care to mask your bad spending habits.
The proper self-care version of overspending would be making monthly budgets and saving diligently. Then, you can buy the item you have your eyes on! A good rule of thumb is to put at least 50% of your (weekly/ biweekly) check into your savings.
Another effective way to grow your savings is to invest! Dive into the literature, youtube videos, start small, and learn! Never just save money to save but save to invest.
3. Delaying Work and Procrastination
Avoiding deadlines and procrastinating on important work or school projects is not self-care! It may feel nice and relaxing at the moment to put off that really big assignment you have to work on, but this will only cause more stress in the long run.
The proper self-care version of delaying work is to build yourself a productive routine. Therefore, you can allocate some time to do what you want. Usually, when we feel unmotivated and want to procrastinate, it is because we don’t have any direction for our day. Building a schedule gives you structured expectations for yourself to follow and you can schedule your breaks in between tasks!
4. Skipping Workouts
We all need a rest day sometimes but if you find yourself taking too many “self-care days” or “self-care evenings” and missing your workout…. you’re a self-care cliché! If you have issues staying motivated with your workouts- switch it up! We find that following a workout program makes it much easier to stay on track and it also gives you an end goal. Also, if you hate lifting weights or running- STOP! There are so many different ways to get activity such as walking, dancing, Zumba, pilates, barre, and yoga. Find what works for you and try to schedule your workouts at a time when you know you will have energy! (not at 10 pm after a long workday)
The proper self-care version of skipping workouts is to find what exercise is your perfect fit in every way (time of day, activity, and duration).
5. Avoiding Conflicts
Avoiding conflicts as self-care and as a means to “protect your energy” is not always the best route. Sometimes you need to leave people on the spot when they disrespect you and on the other hand, a lot of relationships are worth your energy! This generation has a habit of just “ghosting” people on the spot but this is a very unhealthy habit. This does not teach you how to communicate your feelings, how to resolve problems, and how to exit relationships respectfully.
The proper self-care version of this would be to give yourself time to process how you feel and to re-approach the situation with a calm mind and try to articulate how you feel to the best of your ability.
6. Binging Netflix
Before we start, we are guilty of this as well! It is so easy to a whole season of a tv series from beginning to end and then sit there wondering what happened! Even if you have nothing to do (and especially if you have something to do), sitting on your bed or couch all day watching TV is a complete waste of time. Instead, fill your time with reading books, learning a new skill, playing an instrument, exercising, exploring your city, or creating art! There are plenty of ways to spend your free time to further enrich your life instead of wasting it.
The proper self-care version of binging Netflix would be to have a productive day and dedicate time in the evening or night to watch a movie or a couple of episodes.
Which self-care cliché are you? Share below!
Stay updated and follow us on Pinterest or check out our shop on Etsy!
