Three Sacrifices You Must Make for Better Self-Care

In a world constantly demanding more of our time and energy, self-care is as important now as ever. At the same time, self-care isn’t free. Regardless of how you engage in self-care (a conversation for another day), it will require you to sacrifice.

This realization sounds negative, but it’s actually a blessing. Self-care is an investment. You receive something greater back in return as you put forth something of value. 

If you practice regular self-care, here are a few things you must prepare to sacrifice. Even though self-care isn’t free, the trade-off is well worth it. 

Sacrifice One: The illusion that you can do everything

Since you can’t create extra hours in the day, prioritizing self-care means taking time away from another task or activity. By definition, engaging in one activity means saying “no” to doing something else - whether that means putting something off for later or choosing to eliminate it from your to-do list entirely.

Some people will recognize this trade-off and choose to delay self-care rather than put off other tasks that feel more urgent. The problem is that self-care, while not time-bound, is important for your long-term health and well-being. As Stephen Covey teaches in “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” important but not urgent tasks can become increasingly critical when neglected over time.

For example, say that you choose to put off exercise because you don’t feel like you have time. You also decide to eat fast and convenient meals, even if they aren’t nutritious. Over time, these decisions will compound, and you may find that your health isn’t where you want it to be. Suddenly, your physical health is both urgent and important because you could put yourself at greater risk if you don’t get things under control. 

Knowing that we shouldn’t always sacrifice important tasks for urgent jobs, we eliminate unnecessary roles and responsibilities from our schedules. We stop believing we can do everything and abandon the pressure this narrative produces. We spend our time doing what matters most, not simply what could add marginal value. Just because something could create a positive outcome doesn’t always mean it’s worth the time and energy. 

Sacrifice Two: The illusion that you are different

I’ll be honest; there have been seasons in my life when I’ve neglected self-care because I didn’t think I needed it. I pride myself on being a high performer and feel like I’m naturally driven and energetic. 

However, this doesn’t mean that my supply is infinite and never-ending. I’ve seen firsthand how a season of little rest, no margin, and zero time spent doing things that energize and refuel me can have a negative impact. My work isn’t as creative. I get short with the people who I love most. I drop good habits like reading and journaling. I can maintain this grind for a few weeks, but if I try to live this way for too long, I set myself up for failure.  

Nobody is immune to the need for rest, margin, and rejuvenation. Remember that your current position is a lagging measure of your previous actions. Just because you don’t feel burned out or overwhelmed today doesn’t mean you aren’t on that trajectory. You’re building your future reality with your present decisions. Make sure you’re creating a sustainable life through days that are repeatable.

Sacrifice Three: The illusion that your health doesn’t matter

There’s another group of people who ignore their self-care as a self-sacrificial approach to elevating the value of others. It’s the mom who cares deeply for her children and spends her entire life making sure their physical and emotional needs are met without giving her own quality of life a second thought. It’s the entrepreneur who wants to create a better future for his family and works tirelessly to make ends meet. It’s the friend who doesn’t want to see anyone in their circle suffering and carries everyone else’s baggage as a result. Because they are so weighed down by everyone else’s issues, they can’t address or process their own struggles. 

I have two things to say to this person. Well, three. First of all, I can relate to what you’re going through. I see your heart and admire your dedication to the people you love. Secondly, you’ll enhance the value you bring to these relationships and interactions when you set aside time to care for yourself. Don’t forget that you bring yourself into everything you do, and when you take steps to improve yourself, you’ll impact each area of your life. 

Finally, your health and well-being are just as valuable as everyone else’s. If you’re familiar with the life and teachings of Jesus, you know that the Greatest Commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus doesn’t instruct us to love our neighbor more or less than ourselves, but as much as we love ourselves. We must see ourselves as having the same value as anyone else. This perspective doesn’t lead us to mistreat or diminish the importance of others, but it encourages us to care for ourselves in the same way we care for others. 

By sacrificing the belief that you can be everything and do everything, you gain a better state of existence. You recognize your humanity, which allows you to embrace how you were created to live. While living with the limiting belief that we don’t need to take care of ourselves is alluring, it represents a false idea of what it means to live. After all, you are a human being, not a human doing. Let this belief manifest itself in your actions, and give the investment of self-care a chance to produce a compounding interest in your life.