{"id":117283,"date":"2023-11-06T16:37:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T20:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=117283"},"modified":"2023-11-08T11:19:42","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T15:19:42","slug":"barriers-to-self-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/barriers-to-self-care\/","title":{"rendered":"2 Common Barriers to Self-Care & How to Overcome Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you feel guilty when you practice self-care<\/a>? Do you think it’s a waste of time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace Beverley wants you to stop seeing self-care and productivity<\/a> as opposites. She discusses two common barriers to self-care and shares advice on how to overcome them so that you can take care of your health and be more productive<\/a> as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about these barriers to self-care and the remedies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Barriers to Self-Care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beverley says that self-care is the antidote to overwork. You need to nurture your physical and mental health so productivity doesn\u2019t burn you out. However, she acknowledges that engaging in self-care is often easier said than done. <\/strong>She emphasizes two common barriers to self-care and provides tips for overcoming them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barrier #1: Shame<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We tend to feel ashamed about engaging in self-care due to our belief that it\u2019s lazy and indulgent. Therefore, we avoid practicing self-care<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: According to one psychologist, this belief may stem from unmet childhood needs<\/a>. If parents convey that their child should suppress their emotional needs to meet others\u2019 needs, the child internalizes this message, making it an unconscious belief. Then, as an adult, the individual automatically thinks they should prioritize others\u2019 needs over their own, contributing to their belief that self-care is lazy, shameful, and indulgent.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barrier #2: Limited Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s challenging to carve out time for self-care<\/a> when we\u2019re busy with work, chores, and other obligations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Our tendency to fill free time with work-related tasks may contribute to this barrier. In Four Thousand Weeks<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Oliver Burkeman observes that we often spend our free time completing unnecessary work tasks, such as answering emails that don\u2019t require our attention. He explains that we do this because we feel we must spend our free time productively<\/a>\u2014a widespread belief dating back to the Industrial Revolution<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beverley says you can overcome these barriers by no longer seeing self-care and productivity as opposites.<\/strong> Specifically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n