The Importance of Self-Care in Sobriety: Why It’s Not Selfish, It’s Necessary
Self-care is often seen as a negative thing, but it’s important to remember that taking care of yourself is not selfish.
It’s essential to your well-being and ability to be there for others when or if they need you.
Society often teaches us to push ourselves to our limits and only take care of ourselves when things fall apart.
Fix the problem, don’t fix why it happens.
But that’s not the way it really works.
It’s important to actively prioritize self-care and make it a part of our daily lives, especially in sobriety.
This can include things like maintaining a healthy diet, getting adequate exercise and sleep, and properly managing our mental health.
By taking care of ourselves, we become better equipped to take care of others when it’s necessary.
Setting boundaries is often misunderstood as being selfish.
You can do this by accepting fewer social invitations and favors and by giving yourself time to recharge, among other things.
Setting boundaries can feel selfish at the time, but in the long run they help us take better care of ourselves, which in turn allows us to be more present for the people in our lives.
Furthermore, putting one’s own needs and desires first is often seen as selfish but is not.
In spite of the stigma attached to putting one’s own needs first, remember that when you’re happy and fulfilled, you’re in a much better position to help those around you.
Self-improvement and goal-attainment are not egocentric pursuits; rather, they are fundamental to our survival.
It’s easy to feel guilty about prioritizing our own emotional and physical health but doing so is actually crucial to our happiness.
Attending therapy, or even taking a mental health day are not things that should be at the bottom of our list. Echo play my notifications
Self-care, while it may feel selfish at the time, makes us better able to care for others and to show up for them in a meaningful way.
There’s no real reason to hate on yourself for wanting to love who you are.
Self-care also has a positive impact on our physical health.
It’s no secret that exercise and healthy eating habits leads to a decrease in chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.
In sobriety, it means we have less of a reason to consume a poison.
The practice of self-care has a tremendous effect on our mental health.
People who engaged in activities for their own self-care, such as meditation and journaling, experienced a reduction in the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Which also gives those struggling in sobriety one more reason not to drink or consume a toxic substance.
When we take care of our mental health, we are better able to control our feelings and respond more effectively to stressful situations.
Taking care of yourself is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process.
It’s not enough to just treat yourself to a spa day every now and then; you need to incorporate self-care into your daily routine.
By making it a priority and incorporating it into your daily life, you’ll be able to see the positive effects it has on your overall well-being, especially in sobriety.
However, it’s important to note that self-care can be difficult in certain environments.
If you’re surrounded by people who are struggling, it can be hard to take care of yourself.
Additionally, if you’re dealing with financial or cultural barriers, it can be even harder to make self-care a priority.
But it’s important to remember that you deserve to take care of yourself, no matter your circumstances.
It’s not selfish, it’s necessary.
It is a crucial aspect of maintaining sobriety and it’s important to make it a priority in order to avoid relapse.
Let’s break the cycle of struggling in place and start thriving in sobriety by incorporating self-care into our daily lives.
Remember, the greatest act of long-term selflessness is selfishness.
-Kohdi | Beyond Sober | Sobriety Wiki
