When it comes to self-care, there is a lot of advice out there on what you "should" be doing. You should be drinking eight glasses of water a day. You should be eating three healthy meals. You should be getting eight hours of sleep. You should be exercising for 30 minutes a day. You should be meditating for 10 minutes a day. The list goes on and on.
But here's the thing: when you're stressed out and anxious, the last thing you need is another list of things you "should" be doing. In fact, the word "should" is one of the most dangerous words when it comes to self-care because it creates a sense of obligation and makes us feel like we're not good enough if we're not doing everything on the list.
The Problem with Should
When we're anxious or stressed, our minds are already in overdrive and we're fighting an uphill battle just to keep up with our to-do lists. So, when we add another layer of "shoulds" on top of that, it can feel impossible to keep up. We beat ourselves up for not being able to do everything and we end up feeling even worse than we did before.
What's more, the things we "should" be doing are often things that we don't actually enjoy or that don't fit into our lifestyle. For example, I "should" be drinking eight glasses of water a day but I really don't like water so it's hard for me to stick to that goal. Or I "should" be exercising for 30 minutes a day but I don't have time in my schedule for that right now.
So instead of adding more stress to your life by trying to do everything on the self-care checklist, focus on the things that make you happy and that you can realistically fit into your life. Maybe that means taking a relaxing bath instead of forcing yourself to drink more water than you want to. Or going for a walk around the block instead of signing up for a gym membership that you'll never use.
Key Takeaway
Remember, self-care is about taking care of yourself in the way that works best for you—not in the way that someone else thinks you should. So ditch the shoulds and focus on what makes you happy. Your mind (and your anxiety) will thank you for it!
