Self-Care
Managing Self-Care Expectations
Today, self-care and the ideal of attaining a fully balanced life has turned into an unrealistic goal and dangerous mindset that often cannot be reached without burnout and unnecessary pressure. Within the span of a week, we are expected to:
Get 8+ full hours of sleep
Eat three home-cooked, healthful meals per day
Exercise regularly
Manage vitamins, supplements, medications, and physical health
Complete an 8+ hour work or school day
Complete all other non-work related tasks and errands
Spend meaningful quality time with friends and family
Spend adequate time alone
Stay fully organized
Keep all spaces clean and tidy
Keep our wardrobe, appearance, hygiene, and mental health congruent with societal standards
Find time to meditate or relax
Keep screen time down while still staying in close correspondence with others
If this list seems overwhelming to you, you are not alone. Many things that are labeled as balance or self-care often end up being overwhelming to those who try to practice self-care. Although a balanced life is a positive goal to strive for, if this adds more stress and confusion to your days, then the purpose is defeated. In this article, we will discuss a more productive mindset in regards to self-care and some ways you can create a balanced but realistic lifestyle.
Taking the pressure out of self-care
Two of the main issues we may find ourselves facing when it comes to maintaining balance in our life are pressure and burnout. It can be easy to pressure ourselves to meet every expectation and incorporate self-care habits into our life. Attempting to do this often leads to burnout. This can be especially true when we try to make our days look like the curated images we see from others on social media. This promotes a mindset that causes us to believe that if we don’t meet all of these daily expectations, we are failing in our daily routine. It can cause us to feel as though we are lacking something or doing something wrong. These expectations are often created from societal messages and online media, which presents an incomplete view and perpetuates unrealistic standards. This ultimately defeats the purpose of self-care and balance, because it ends up becoming yet another source of stress in our lives. In reality, some days are full and busy, and some days are a little more mundane, but both are a part of a balanced schedule. Some days it is easy to incorporate self-care habits, and some days it is not.
What is self-care?
Balanced daily routines and self-care practices will look different for everybody. Sometimes it can be confusing to figure out what self-care might look like in your personal life. There really is no blueprint for the most effective method. Self-care is simply something that you can do as an alternative to life’s more stressful tasks. It is a way to recharge your psyche amid daily stresses. Self-care can be:
A nightly skincare routine
Going for a drive
A favorite movie or video game
A hobby you enjoy
Spending time with those you enjoy being around
Spending time alone
Physical movement
Self-care can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be, as long as it is something you enjoy. There is no right or wrong way to do it, and it is important not to pressure or compare yourself to others. Simply do what works best for you.
Practical Self Care
One practical way to incorporate self-care into your daily life is to find small things that you enjoy that you could do without too much extra strain on your schedule. These can be small moments throughout your day like a chapter of your favorite book in the morning, a brief meditation at lunchtime, or an evening snack. It can be as simple as taking five deep breaths. If you want to incorporate more time-consuming self-care practices, set time aside once a week instead of attempting a daily routine which can add additional stress. Whatever method you choose, something to be avoided is making self-care a task on your daily to-do list. Although it is important to prioritize, if you are hyper-focused on getting the maximum amount of fulfillment possible from your self-care strategies every day, it can become overwhelming. Creating a balanced life should be free of stress and pressure. It is a way of creating a practice that works best for you and allows you to connect more effectively with yourself and others.