Most people of a certain maturity level accept that if they want something in life, they have to work for it. You don’t have to be a super libertarian person who refuses all charity at every turn to think that yes, having a sense of responsibility – to the capacity you are reasonably able to exercise it – is a healthy thing.
But this attitude can sometimes confuse us when it comes to well-being and comfort. For example, we might be unable to rest unless we feel we’ve “earned it,” when in reality resting because your body needs it is all the justification you require.
The same could be said for self-care. With so much marketing noise behind self-care regimes, supplementation, personal management programs, and recovery courses, it’s easy to think that unless you’ve been focused on a strict plan, you’re going nowhere in life.
This, of course, will be incorrect. But it raises an interesting question – should self-care be a struggle at all? To what extent do you have to put your shoulder to the grindstone and push towards feeling healthier and more complete?
Well, in this post, we’ll discuss a few insights that seem to be correct:
Investing In Useful Equipment
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to be a massive task with the right equipment to help you. Sometimes, the right tools make all the difference. For example, think about the advantages of rechargeable hearing aids – would you return back to more manual models after having this convenience? Not having to fuss with tiny batteries can save a lot of frustration and make daily life a bit easier. The same applies to other self-care items. A good mattress, ergonomic furniture, or even a reliable water bottle can enhance your well-being without requiring unnecessary effort on your part. Investing in useful equipment can simplify routines and yes, give you self-care that’s easily replicated.
Incremental Routines
Big changes can be tiring, and they often lead to ennui and even failure if you’re not careful. But you don’t want to simply do the same thing over and over again without a regimented process in self-care. In other words, a routine should not just be a routine, but a routine for something. We use skincare treatments to gain healthier skin, not just because we have to do it, after all.
Instead of trying to fix your life overnight, you might take a gradual approach, including very small and manageable changes that can build up over time. That might involve a five-minute meditation to your morning or taking a short walk during lunch breaks, even stretching at the office mid-day. When we use the momentum of routine, we tend not to feel tired out by it, as anyone who can do vast swathes of laundry at the weekend will know.
Keeping It Simple Is Fine
There’s no reason to climb Mount Everest each day. A simple positive goal, such as limiting your alcohol intake as much as possible, can be enough. Then you can build on that with another habit, perhaps going to the gym or meditating instead of a long bar crawl every other weekend. Often, removing complexity from our schedule is self-care, and it frees up so much personal and mental energy.
With this advice, you’ll be certain to avoid the unnecessary struggle that self-care can sometimes become.
