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My Perfectionism Was Ruining My Self-Care, Until I Learned This

You don’t have to be perfect to “deserve” or “earn” self-care.

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If you’re anything like me, you likely view rest and self-care as a luxury, not a birthright. 

We all deserve—and need—time to relax, recharge, and care for ourselves. But as a perfectionist, I often require myself to check off 10 daily to-do items before finally slowing down. And when I finally do decide to curl up on my couch and open my fiction novel for some casual reading, my mind is plagued with self-criticism. 

“You’re lazy. You forgot to clean the shower. You can’t afford to miss a workout today. You need to cook something healthy tonight. You should really update your Substack.”

So much for finding some peace. 

Perfectionism and Self-Care

Perfectionism is a common problem for many people in today’s hyperproductive world, where we’re expected to be “always on.” Always attuned to what’s happening around us, both in our own communities and across the globe. Always on top of the latest trends or beauty routines. Always working on our mental health and becoming “better versions” of ourselves. Always available for loved ones and bosses and social media followers and…Well, you get the point.

The expectations we put on........

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