So many people I know are terrible at taking care of themselves. They make allowances for others while pushing themselves until their body forcibly makes them stop, by contracting an illness that will not be gainsaid until rest is taken. Sound like you too? Are you prone to months of being wonderfully efficient followed by weeks of feeling stretched thin and then you come down with a wracking cough that wont leave you be?
Of course, one of the drivers for us trying to run a marathon at a sprinters pace is not just the necessities of life; it is our own inability to be aware of our own needs. We think we are being selfish in saying "no" to another task. We think we are already reasonably busy, we can fit something else in. We want to be helpful.
We are doomed!
This is the straw, people. You are the came, and that straw will feel like it weighs more than Jabba the Hutt. (Weird metaphor: Jabba on a camel. But weird is just how I roll) That straw will break your back.
So the key is to manage our own needs against our workload. When is taking time out not selfish but actual self-care? Self care that will let us continue our lives refreshed. The key is in the word "need". Self care is when you need a break, because you are starting to feel out of control or you know you will get sick soon. There is no guilt in looking after yourself: you will be of no use to anyone if you fall apart.
Selfish is when you are taking a break because you want to (vs need to) even though you have other commitments awaiting.
Don't feel guilty if you need a break: that is just good self care.
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