Recently, I've been struggling with self-sacrifice and self-care. My natural inclination is toward self-sacrifice. I tend to do about as much as is asked of me, with little consideration as to whether I was giving too much. This was especially true when my dad was still alive, and I gave him about as much help as he asked for, even when it was more help than I was fully comfortable giving. Granted, one should stretch themselves a bit when it comes to giving service. One shouldn't stay too comfortable. Still, it is possible for one to stretch oneself too thin, and when one does, all sorts of unpleasant things could happen. For example, when I give too much, I tend to get irritable, and I have even experienced outbursts of negative emotions that I really should have dealt with in a more positive way.
In fact, there are several things that I should deal with in a more positive way. I could stand to take better care of myself, especially if doing so helps me gain the mental resilience to do all the service I should do without becoming irritable as I do so. I should do service, and I should probably keep doing at least as much service as I have been doing, but I should also take care of myself so I don't burn myself out.
Self-sacrifice can be a virtue, but it can also be harmful. In those cases, self-care isn't just a virtue; it's practically a necessity.
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