10/21/2022
We don’t talk much about the things that make it hard to take care of ourselves. Many people propose themselves as “self-care gurus”, yet they don’t do the hard work that goes into self-care.
The battle between self-pity and self-care is inevitable. We go between feeling disgusted and disappointed in ourselves, to being inspired and motivated. We have moments where we feel so low about ourselves that we default to poor self-care. We have moments where we decide to skip a meal, or skip a workout because our mind says, “What's the point? Nothings gonna change.”. While there are many reasons to stay the same, there are more reasons to change. However, it can feel nearly impossible to take care of our overall health when we are focused on our problems versus the possible positive outcomes. Take for example my struggle:
I reinjured my knee after having two knee surgeries. Since the injury, I feel a bit depressed, anxious, and disappointed in myself. At first, I felt that I was the one to blame for my injury. Once I blamed myself, I felt unworthy and hopeless. In this moment of hurt..I have two choices.
Choice 1: Face Adversity
Choice 2: Let my self-pity continue to take over
Skipping meals and putting my hygiene last are two examples of poor coping skills. The thought crossed my mind that maybe skipping a meal would make me feel better about myself. But then I had to stop myself and remember that skipping a meal will make it harder for me to look and feel healthier. Skipping a meal (or two) will cause me to become hungrier later which means I have a higher risk of overeating in the evening. Skipping meals consistently will cause me to lose muscle and I am already at high risk of muscle wasting since my knee injury.
You see…critical thinking can sometimes pull you out of your pity party. It's MUCH easier said than done. There is so much emotion and guilt. It would be easier to let pity and guilt win. But the more you choose self-care Vs. self-pity, it will eventually become easier. In times of struggle, you must use critical thinking. When the world feels like it's turned upside down it's easy to get caught up in the emotions.
Now I'm not saying become a robot and put yourself on “auto-mode”. What I'm saying is FIGHT! Fight for your health. Fight for your mind. Fight for the younger version of you that felt hopeless. Fight for your future. Fight for your HAPPINESS. The feeling of fighting for yourself when life feels like it's falling apart…man… it is an undeniable feeling. So go out today. Be unstoppable. Screw perfection. Screw those negative self-pitying thoughts. Focus on you, your story, and your fight. GO WIN IT! IT'S YOURS!
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