Conquering the Guilt of Self-Care
Throughout the week, our thoughts often gravitate towards the approaching weekend, or we eagerly anticipate the holidays that loom on the horizon. Especially now, as the holiday season approaches, it’s natural to look forward to these periods of relaxation. However, for many, taking time to relax is accompanied by a nagging sense of guilt, and our minds begin racing with thoughts like: Why am I not being productive? I’m wasting my day! Why am I so lazy? This phenomenon, aptly coined “stress-laxing”, can cast a shadow on our ability to truly unwind. If you’ve ever experienced this before, rest assured, you are not alone. With the work-focused attitudes of today’s culture, it can be easy to associate our productivity with our self-worth, compelling us to feel the need to elaborately justify ourselves when we take a moment to rest. This can be especially true with the blurred lines of work-and-home life that have arisen since the introduction of hybrid working. Understanding relaxation gu...
