{"id":227843,"date":"2025-01-23T14:30:56","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T19:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/?post_type=article&p=227843"},"modified":"2025-05-29T10:55:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T14:55:05","slug":"how-do-i-take-care-of-myself","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/es\/content\/how-do-i-take-care-of-myself\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo me cuido?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes taking care of yourself is hard.<\/p>\n

Especially when you are feeling depressed<\/a>, anxious<\/a>, o overwhelmed with trauma<\/a>, stress, or a busy schedule. When dealing with the stress of daily life, it\u2019s easy to forget about yourself. Or taking care of yourself feels exhausting<\/a>\u2014like another thing to do.<\/p>\n

We may even feel that it\u2019s selfish to place our own care above caring for others. But truthfully, we can\u2019t care for others fully, if we aren\u2019t taking care of ourselves. Self-care means honoring our needs like eating nutritious food, drinking water, giving ourselves space to process feelings, etc.<\/p>\n

No matter the reason, taking care of yourself may not always feel easy. But with time, practice, and patience, it can become a regular part of our lives.<\/p>\n

Self-care is not selfish<\/h2>\n

We often don\u2019t prioritize self-care because we have obligations to others.\u00a0 We find ourselves having to meet the expectations of those around us\u2014as friends, children, parents, students, employees, etc. And too often we set aside our needs<\/a> and feelings to meet those expectations and obligations.<\/p>\n

But we can only neglect our own needs for so long before it catches up to us. For example, we might forget to eat and end up snapping at someone we love<\/a> because we set that need aside. Or we may shut down when others need us because we haven\u2019t taken the time to process what we are feeling.<\/p>\n

When we take the time to take care of ourselves, we have a greater capacity to care for others. The saying, you can\u2019t pour from an empty cup<\/em>, is true. When we are tired, hungry, or depleted, we can\u2019t be present in a way that is helpful for others or ourselves. Taking care of ourselves actually gives us more energy to care for others.<\/p>\n

So, self-care isn\u2019t selfish. It\u2019s necessary for us to show up for ourselves and others.<\/p>\n

How do I make time for myself?<\/h2>\n

Accepting that self-care isn\u2019t selfish is one thing, but trying to add it to your life can feel like a difficult task. Between working, taking care of others, and managing responsibilities, you may feel like your plate is full and that you just can\u2019t add anything else.<\/p>\n

Taking time to look at everything you\u2019re doing will help you find what drains you and what energizes you. You may not be able to get rid of everything on your plate\u2014you still have to go to work, go to school, and\/or take care of loved ones\u2014but it\u2019s possible to find space for you<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If finding time to incorporate self-care feels difficult, ask yourself:<\/p>\n