Signs Of Poor Self-Care
Grief is so exhausting at times and can take a toll on our mind, body and spirit. When we are grieving intensely, we get lost in our feelings and we forget to take care of ourselves. This is a normal response to grief.
I am a huge advocate of self-care, yet I also understand that it’s not easy taking care of yourself when you are grieving a significant loss. Some days you can barely function yet, other days you just somehow seem to get through the day.
Below are a list of signs and symptoms of “poor self-care”.
Read through the poor self-care list and note in your journal the signs and symptoms that you are currently experiencing and when you most notice them in your life. The goal is to become aware of when we are grieving that at times, we struggle to take care of ourselves and unfortunately there are consequence to poor self-care.
Grief plays havoc on your overall wellbeing and the result of this can be lack of self-care. It’s not always easy taking care of yourself when you are emotionally exhausted. There is no energy for self-care and honestly for some of us poor self-care is a form of punishment that stems from guilt. Remember not to judge yourself too harshly if you are lacking in self-care. Just take some baby steps towards caring for your wellbeing as you grieve the loss of your mother.
Here is an Example: Most days I feel really tired and have low energy. I notice that when I am at work, it gets worse. I also find it hard to concentrate on my job especially after lunch time. I get headaches when I cry a lot and this affects my energy levels too. I barely want to have sex with my partner because I am always tired.
When I am really stressed, I miss my mum. I feel depressed even though I know that I don’t have depression. I am just missing my mum a lot. This depressed feeling makes me feel tired. Sometimes I am that exhausted that I can’t sleep and when I wake up the next day, I am barely able to get out of bed.
Anxiety is the worst thing for me. When I get anxious, I feel afraid and I avoid my family and friends.
I get anxious at work too. Sometimes I have to go to the bathroom just to calm myself down. I hate anxiety.
Symptoms and signs of poor self-care are:
- Worry
- Low energy
- Headaches
- Upset stomach, including diarrhoea, constipation and nausea
- Aches, pains, and tense muscles
- Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
- Insomnia
- Frequent colds and infections
- Loss of sexual desire
- Stress
- Relationship issues
- Tiredness/fatigue
- Depression and/or anxiety
Remember this is an awareness exercise only that I hope will open your eyes to the importance of self-care even under the most awful circumstances of grieving the loss of your mother.
On “Day 23” you will explore some healthy tips on how to better take care of yourself. Taking care of your body is so important even though at times it’s the last thing on your mind.
You need your body. You cannot survive without it, so let’s start taking gentle care of it.