The pitfalls of self care

Why does self care feel like more work?

Aisha Adkins posted on Instagram about the potential dangers of self care. If you’ve ever gone out because you felt like you should, only to regret it later, you’ll relate to what she wrote.

People preach the gospel of self care all the time. The thing is, if a caregiver isn’t taking care of themselves, it’s probably because there are real reasons stopping them.

It's so easy for self care to become one more thing on your to do list, one more thing to feel guilty about, one more thing you're failing at. 

Remember that you get to decide what self care is for you in a given moment. Self care might mean going to the dentist, leaving the dirty dishes in the sink, or refusing to take responsibility for something that isn't your problem. Sometimes self care is whatever you need to get through the day.

There are so few simple solutions in life. Self care isn't going to make everything okay. Becoming more resilient and more positive isn't going to make the unbearable bearable. 

It's okay to be overwhelmed. This world is overwhelming. Self care isn’t going to change that.