So, just go ahead and picture this: it’s been a long, exhausting week. The only thing on your mind is shutting out the world and indulging in a bit of “me time.” Maybe that means retreating to bed for the day, binge-watching shows, or scrolling endlessly through social media. Generally speaking, this is self-care, and you need self-care in order to improve your life, right? Everyone deserves to find happiness from within, even the little things.
While sure, at first, it feels like a relief—an escape from the demands of life. But after a while, something feels off. Instead of feeling recharged, there’s a lingering sense of emptiness or stress. Sometimes, what seems like self-care can actually be working against your mental health.
It’s probably not always the case, but sometimes, way too much of a good thing can actually be harmful. But what could be considered harmful but also be labeled as self-care at the same time? Well, here’s what you need to know!
Bed Rotting
While this sounds morbid, it’s actually not at all. So, “bed rotting,” a trend gaining traction on TikTok, is all about staying in bed for extended periods as a way to recharge. While, sure, a lazy day in bed sounds great, and sometimes it’s exactly what’s needed. But when this becomes a regular habit, it can start to have negative effects. For example, there are feelings of isolation, anxiety, and low energy, and it can even turn into depression.
Using Devices Too Much
Scrolling through social media or catching up on the latest news can feel like a mindless way to relax, right? It’s something that everyone does in the first place. But spending too much time on devices—especially when doom scrolling—isn’t as harmless as it seems.
Actually, doomscrolling is the furtherest thing away from self-care. Constantly consuming negative content or comparing yourself to the highlight reels of others online can lead to stress, anxiety, and a feeling of disconnection from real life. Plus, you’re seeing others live their life, and you’re just sitting there watching them.
Canceling Plans and Avoiding People
Now, there are more than enough related memes and videos going around online, and everyone has dealt with or was the one that was “flakey.” So, canceling plans to take some alone time can feel like an act of self-care.
After all, it’s important to know when to rest and recharge. But if it becomes a habit of always avoiding social interactions, it can quickly lead to feelings of isolation. It’s not only that, but doing it too many times can create troubled relationships.
Eating Too Much Junk Food
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some junk food now and then; after all, it’s good for the soul. But even though it’s good for the soul and you get that hit of dopamine, at the end of the day, you’re going to feel like garbage. It has a way of affecting you physically (weight gain, irritated stomach, sluggishness), but the same can be said for mental health as well.
Retail Therapy
Now, for decades, there have been jokes that retail therapy is cheaper and more effective than traditional therapy. But that’s obviously not true, especially with how expensive everything is nowadays (if you’re actually wanting something of nice quality).
So, the quick fix of buying something new fades fast, and there’s usually financial stress that goes alone with it too. Sure, traditional counselling services are expensive, but they do have longer-lasting effects that are better for your mental health.
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