Self-love – We Mustn’t Forget To Love Ourselves
We get involved in numerous matters and are so thin-skinned that we are often exhausted at the end of the week. That is worrying. Our routine does not leave us time to rest and relax or to enjoy the much needed “me-time”. Although we think we are doing the right thing by “dancing at multiple weddings at once,” we need to put ourselves and our needs more in the foreground. We need to cultivate self-love.
It’s easy for us to feel like we have to go to every single meeting. It could be that we are missing out on something important. Perhaps the non-appearance also has a negative effect on our chances of promotion or we could be excluded from the social environment of our workplace. When we think this way, we should also reflect on why we feel bad about it.
If we attend every single meeting that we are invited to, this can indicate a lack of assertiveness on our part. We may find it difficult to say no to our fellow human beings. We may feel the need to please others, or we may find it difficult to be alone with ourselves. But we shouldn’t have a remorse for saying no sometimes.
Social engagement and stress
Several studies warn that the number of social gatherings we attend today far exceeds the number of events our parents attended. We stress ourselves even more instead of using free time and rest to recover from the weekly stress. This happens simply from a lack of knowledge or a desire to adapt to the group.
A person’s quality of life is directly related to their commitment to themselves, regardless of where they work or how much money they make.
Who are we trying to please with all of these social responsibilities that we take on? Are we ourselves or others? Answering this question with complete honesty can save us from stress and discomfort.
Let us commit ourselves to the things that make us happy. Let us use our free time to our advantage.
Sometimes we need to prioritize our own lives and just say no. We cannot meet all expectations. If we are just trying to make everyone else happy, how can we be happy with ourselves? It’s not about isolating ourselves and removing ourselves from our circle of friends. Rather, it’s about maintaining healthy bonds while leaving room for ourselves.
Our greatest obligation is ourselves.
The leisure syndrome
We need free time to lead happy lives and reduce stress. Our minds need to relax at times and stop working so hard. Therefore, leisure activities are a good alternative to recreation. They’re also fun. However, leisure time can also become a source of stress and uncertainty when commitments and engagement stifle us.
The psychologist Ad Vingerhoets, professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, decided to analyze one of his personal problems. He was never sick, except on weekends. To conduct his experiment, he asked if other people had experienced the same thing. He found he wasn’t the only one feeling this way. Other people also got sick, preferably during the summer vacation, Christmas holidays or Friday.
The psychologist María Jesús Gonzalez explains that this phenomenon is not an actual disease. She assumes that the medical findings do not describe the problem very well and that there is no specific treatment plan. Today we know that this recreational syndrome that Vingerhoets described is just an expression of fear.
To enjoy our hobbies and free time we need to be realistic about ourselves and the activities we do. We have to set a reasonable schedule and we cannot make promises without a reason. It is crucial that we remember the importance of these moments of calm and relaxation. Let’s find a connection to ourselves!
