The HUGE Reasons Why Busy Women Can’t Afford to Skip Self Care

Most women have a really hard time answering the question “What do you do for Self Care?” I’ve seen it myself with women who come to my Yoga classes, friends and family and of course, I have to admit that sometimes I struggle with Self Care too!

Life as a busy woman means you have to juggle a lot of plates - balancing work, life, family and countless other responsibilities. So it’s no surprise that Self Care takes a backseat.

But have you ever thought about the chain of negative consequences that you could set off by neglecting your Self Care & Yoga practices?

Get ready, because we’re about to look at the worst case scenarios of what could happen to you, if you continue to put yourself last.

Stress Levels on Overdrive

Think about your daily life and all the stresses that go with it - work deadlines, super busy schedules and the weight of the world resting squarely on your shoulders. Without the release valve of Self Care & Yoga practices, you stress levels rocket. The constant barrage of your never ending to-do list leaves you feeling like you’re barely keeping your head above water, with no relief in sight. Take a moment to think about what type of person you are, when you are stressed. I’m guessing it’s unlikely that you are super happy and fun to be around!

Relationship Resentment

Maintaining healthy relationships with other people, starts with taking care of yourself and when stress reaches it’s boiling point, it’s not just your own sanity at stake - it’s your relationships too. Snapping at your children, snapping at family members, snapping at work colleagues - it becomes a vicious cycle of frustration and resentment.

From an early age, we (as women) have been taught how important it is to take care and nurture others. Mums generally spend their time focusing on making sure their children’s/partner’s/household’s needs are met, before even beginning to think about themselves. Getting caught in this cycle means there’s little (to no) energy left to make sure your own needs are being met. We you neglect your Self Care, because you are busy taking care of others instead, it’s easy to start to lose our power and our identity. Once your Self Care becomes neglected, feelings of resentment an self hatred kick in and this out-of-control stress spills over into every aspect of your life, leaving a trail of strained connections in it’s wake.

The Slow Erosion of Self Worth

With each passing day of neglect, your Self Worth takes a hit. You begin to question your abilities, your worthiness and your very essence. Maybe you start to feel run-down, overwhelmed or exhausted. You might start feeling disconnected from friends & family or catch yourself in a negative self talk spiral. When your Self Worth is high, you feel like you ARE good enough, you know your values and feel secure within yourself. You are able to set boundaries and have the confidence to stick to them, whilst always trying to do the right thing.

The relentless pursuit of being everything to everyone, leaves you feeling inadequate and unworthy, trapped in a cycle of self doubt and self criticism. The erosion of your Self Worth slowly and silently chips away at your confidence from the inside out and before you know it, you become a shell of your former self.

A Downward Spiral

As stress mounts and Self Worth plummets, the stage is set for a downward spiral. Mental Health struggles rear their ugly head - anxiety, depression and burnout - leaving you feeling even more stressed out, even more reactive to those around you and your Self worth is at an all time low - it’s another vicious cycle.

Your physical health starts to get impacted too, sleep problems become the norm, digestive issues become more regular and you seem to pick up every bug going round, due to imbalances in your immune system. Your body is desperately trying to do anything to make you slow down, rest and take some time for yourself, by making it hard for you to do all the things that you need to do.

The Ripple Effect

The problem with neglecting your Self Care & Yoga practices is that the consequences don’t just stop at you. The effects ripple outwards, impacting those around you in ways that you have probably never even realised. Your children absorb the tension in the air, your work colleagues bear the brunt of your stress-fueled outbursts and your family feels the strain of your ever-increasing anxiety. The collateral damage of neglect is far-reaching and profound.

When we neglect our Self Care practices and people see that, you are allowing them to do the same thing. They take a leaf out of your book and follow your example towards burnout - you become some kind of stressed out role model! Think about a time when someone close to you was having a bad day, chances are that their bad mood rubbed off on you too! Now image that person goes to a cafe and is rude to the waitress, they have impacted another person! That waitress is then rude to the next customer, that’s another life affected & so on. Negativity breeds negativity, it all has a knock on effect.

The Wake Up Call

But in the middle of all this, there is a glimmer of hope - the realisation that change IS possible. The wake up call to prioritise Self Care and Yoga practices isn’t just about survival, it’s about reclaiming your vitality, your happiness and your very essence. It’s about setting boundaries, saying “enough is enough” and taking back control of your wellbeing, one mindful breath at a time.

Think of your life as a beautiful (perhaps your favourite) rug. Self Care & Yoga practices are the threads that hold it all together. Without them, your favourite rug would begin to fray, unravelling at the seams. But with intention and commitment, you have the power to stop those seams from unravelling even further. You have the power to prioritise your wellbeing, to nourish your mind, body and soul with the care and attention it deserves.

We are much better mothers, friends, sisters, partners and colleagues when we look after ourselves properly.

So let this be your wake up call - a call to action in the face of adversity. Your journey to Self Care & Yoga practices starts now and the possibilities are endless.