Debunking 3 Common Myths About Self-Care

You can never have too many reminders about self-care these days.  It becomes easy to neglect the truth that “you can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself.” The reason why we do need to hear those reminders is that autopilot can become our mode of operation during the daily hustle called life. There are also myths that we come into agreement with—sometimes without even realizing it!  Let’s debunk them together.

Myth # 1:  Self-care is selfish.

Think about the last time you were “hangry” (ie, hungry + angry) but had to handle something or engage in a social interaction first--let’s say a work meeting or a serious discussion popped up right before you were about grab your salad. Any of these describe what your mental dialogue was during that interaction?

1. “Uh huh…uh huh…how many minutes of this meeting left?”

2. “Are those little bagels with legs dancing around your virtual background?”

3. “Hear that music?...It's called Stomach Growl Symphony.”

4. All of the above

Whether you can relate to one or none of the above, when you're not able to take regular breaks or recharge, you're not able to fully engage with others. So self-care is in fact a way to care for others by enabling yourself to fully engage with them and your environment.

Myth # 2: Self-care is complicated.

One self-care size doesn’t fit all. What may be a refreshing self-care break to one person, could be sheer agony to someone else. Keep it simple and focus on what's important to you no matter how big or small. Need some inspo?  Here are some ideas:

• Did anything specific come up at your last annual check up that you've been meaning to follow up on?

• Have you been sleeping well lately?

• Have a conversation with a friend about self-care ideas

• Play Blossom Spot Bingo then share a comment about how it went and exchange ideas with others

Myth # 3: Self-care is time consuming. 

Consistency is key. Try to pick one or two focal points over a period of time.  Find fun, creative ways to integrate them in your daily routine. You can schedule your self-care activities in short spurts until they become healthy habits. Scheduling 5 minute neck stretches or breathing breaks throughout your week, for example, can go a long way over time.

The Blossom Spot wants to see you do just that—Blossom. You're that important. So take a deep breath (…in...out) and reflect about one thing you can do to recharge your self-care journey, daily and intentionally.