The Dangers Of Neglecting Self-Care

It is important to note that being too productive can cause both short-term and long-term negative effects on your body, mind, and even the people around you. It might seem like working hard is a good thing because you are being productive, but if you take it too far, you can cause some serious damage that may take a long time to reverse if it can be reversed at all.

Let’s look at the major warning signs to pay attention to before things turn for the worse and some short and long-term effects associated with neglecting self-care.

• Fatigue/Insomnia -- Do you feel like no matter how much sleep you are getting you still feel tired? Maybe you are tossing and turning and can't sleep at all. Your body is trying to tell you something is wrong so pay attention and get it checked out. You could have sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor.

• Feeling Inadequate – If you ever feel like you are not good enough to do something or just look and feel horrible all the time then you are experiencing low self-esteem. Everyone is good enough and shouldn't feel this way. If you feel this way, even after trying to work on it yourself for a few weeks, you may need to seek out a counselor or even a life coach for assistance.

• Blaming Others – Have you noticed more fights with friends, family members, and maybe even co-workers? Sometimes when people neglect their self-care they feel like the world is against them and its everyone else's fault but theirs. The truth is you are the only one responsible for your happiness. That’s a hard lesson to learn but it’s a fact.

• Poor Hygiene -- When you overwork yourself too much, more than likely, your hygiene could be lacking. You are too tired and skip the shower before bedtime and wake up too late to get in a shower before work. You might not schedule in enough time to get the laundry done efficiently. Anything can add up over time without notice. Often, when people don't feel good about themselves, they also feel like it's not important to keep up with self-care because it doesn’t help them anyway. Read the book The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy.

• Poor Relationships -- Negativity, low self-esteem, and feeling fatigue can wreak havoc on relationships. All these symptoms of self-neglect can lead you to believe that no one cares about you. The truth is, if you don’t care enough about yourself to take care of yourself it’s going to be hard to have good relationships.

• Mental Fog – Mental fog is a combination of confusion, forgetfulness, and lack of focus. It is mostly associated with a poor diet of high sugar foods and drinks and unhealthy chemicals. If you’re experiencing this, try going on a whole food diet eliminating sugar and starches and processed food. If the fog doesn’t lift within a month, seek medical intervention.

• Addiction – More times than not when people are running a schedule that doesn’t include breaks or enough sleep they turn to drugs, medications, food and drink that lead to addictions. Coffee, cigarettes, caffeine pills, high-sugar foods, and drinks are all examples. These addictions can take years to reverse and each has their own negative side effects.

• Weight Gain – High sugar drinks like coffee at Starbucks or fast food on your way home to cut your cooking time can lead to weight gain. People who are on busy schedules typically forget to eat and resort to whatever is closest to them and usually it is not a great choice. They also neglect exercise. Weight gain can lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

Everyone needs to take a break and pay attention to what their body is telling them. If you take the time to listen you can prevent yourself from seriously harming your body. Therefore, self-care is imperative for a happy life, for you, as well as your friends and family.  

 The self-care information is from my Transformational Life Coaching membership, A Pilgrimage to Self. In the monthly membership, Pilgrims walk the PATHS to Discover, Design, and Develop the lives of their dreams. The Stepping Stones include self-care strategies to help you "air" out your four rooms according to the Indian Proverb. 

Learning to focus and making yourself a priority in YOUR life is essential to living an Intentional Life. 

For more information and updates about launch dates, sign up for the VIP Waitlist for A Pilgrimage to Self.

Here's a link to the signup page: 

https://www.ahousewithfourrooms.com/offers/h3x6oksH

Cheers!

Lisa