Taking care of yourself is not selfish. Instead, it is very important if you think that you have lost yourself lately.

With the age of technology that we live in, everything is within reach: shopping, traveling, socializing and working. When is it time to start practicing self-care? Below are seven signs that you need to switch off and start taking care of yourself for a little bit.

It’s almost impossible to switch off from work thanks to the smartphone, iPad, and mac… not that we aren’t grateful for them, wonderful pieces of technology connecting us to the world. But with all this global connectivity we can feel disconnected with ourselves.

1. Negative emotions

When we take care of ourselves, we are showing ourselves love and compassion and to others. But when we are overstretched, overworked and running on fumes, that’s when the cracks start to form and we start to lose it. The smallest thing becomes the biggest issue in the world.

How do we fix it? Recognize these symptoms? Don’t give yourself a hard time. Take a step back from it all. If that means having a long hot soak, a shower with your favorite products, taking a yoga class or a solo latte on the weekend.

Do something first to unwind, and then put a plan together. Decide to not answer emails when you leave the office or speak to your manager about leaving on time.

2. Tardiness

Tardiness does not always mean disorganized. If you are trying to do too many things, something will inevitably suffer. Whilst it’s great to help out others or be busy, if you take on too much you will end up putting pressure on yourself when you don’t get it down and if you are always late your friends, will feel like they aren’t valued.

How do we fix it? You need to be firm and learn to say no to things that you won’t get done on time. Take on smaller projects that either aren’t constrained by time or can be done at leisure. That way you are still feeling as though you are doing something but you aren’t continually late.

3. Sleeping or lack of it

Finding it hard to nod off or stay asleep can be indicative of many things. Not being able to sleep is often stress-related. If you are a sufferer of anxiety attacks your mind and body is trying to tell you that something is wrong and it needs fixing.

How do we fix it? Firstly go for a walk and leave your phone at home. When you are back from your walk, make a list of all the things that are bothering, no matter how big or small.

Prioritize the things that you can either finish or fix first, and work out a plan on how to get started on the remaining points. They might be slow burners but at least you have it written down and take some pressure off your mind.

4. Doing nothing

It’s a great feeling when you have a lot on but you are completing tasks with ease and speed. It’s very easy to burn ourselves if this is a continual cycle. What’s the point in living life if you don’t know if you are enjoying it?

You have to have some time to do nothing if it’s lazing on the sofas with your cats, or just going for a walk or just having a sneaky lie-in, doing nothing occasionally is a good thing!



How do we fix it? If you think seriously to start taking care of yourself, make sure you weekly have some time to yourself, from going for a walk, a pedicure or just lazing t home on a Sunday.

5. When life feels it’s getting too much

The title speaks for itself but when you constantly are feeling overwhelmed its time to sit down and see what it is that is making you uncomfortable.

How do we fix it? To fix this it’s all about the why. You need to step back, sit down and ask yourself why are you feeling this way.

6. Not enough of anything

Cooking, exercising, sleeping, and reflecting are some of the key things that make us happy humans. When we aren’t getting enough of any of them, it’s time to start asking why. It might be impossible to do all of them, after all, we might have families, friends, hobbies that take up time, but if you aren’t doing any of them, it’s a sign you need to taking care of yourself more.

These activities, when completed alone, are self-caring. They are nurturing our minds and bodies.

How do we fix it? You are going to have to be firm. You need to look at what is eating up your time and cut back on them. Once you start incorporating some cooking or exercise into your life, you will reap the benefits and never look back.

7. A day off

In today’s climate, we are made to feel like we can’t take a day off but do it. Take a day of self-love.

How do we fix it? Pick an activity that makes your heart soar. Whether it’s a yoga class, a day at the spa, or simply a day at home with your cats.

Practicing self-care is not a weakness, it’s an act of love. So, consider all the signs you just read and if you have recognized yourself in, start taking care of yourself NOW!

H/T: https://www.mindbodygreen.com

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new life-advancing articles!

Copyright © 2014-2024 Life Advancer. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

Leave a Reply