Self-Care Series: Recognizing Blind Spots

When it comes to working on self-care, all of us have different blind spots. These are basically aspects of our own selves that create blocks in our moving forward with self-care.  It could be personality traits, feelings, or actions.  These blind spots can really hamper our self-care efforts. That is why it is so important to become fully aware of them. Here, we’ll look at some of the most common blind spots you may discover when working on self-care.

Conflict Avoidance
A lot of people hate conflict, but sometimes it is needed to resolve situations. If you tend to avoid conflict, it means you’ll often do or say things you don’t necessarily agree with. This is a common blind spot that can really derail your self-care efforts. The trouble is, when you give in to others just to avoid conflict, it reduces your credibility. You’ll also find you are frequently miserable due to not standing firm in your own beliefs and values. So, if your blind spot is avoiding conflict, it’s important to address it.

Clearing the air
Are there people in your life that you can’t seem to let go of? The people who bring and spread negative thoughts and attitudes into your life? Whether it is a friend, partner, or family member, associating with toxic people can have long term effects on your own self-esteem and self-care.  If you learn what exactly is the toxicity surrounding these people you will be able to make an informed decision about the next step. Should you confront them about what it is they do or bring that is toxic? Can you acknowledge it and let it go or do you need to let go of this person to significantly improve your life? You’ll be happier and much more able to make positive changes in your life once you’ve cleared the air. It’s hard to remain positive in life when you are surrounded by negativity. So, assess the relationships in your life. If there is a toxic person around you, address it with them directly or distance yourself from them.  Instead surround yourself with positive role models.

Timeliness
Frequently running late might not sound like a problematic blind spot in self-care. However, it could be negatively impacting various aspects of your life. When you are known for being late, it lowers your trustworthiness. This can negatively impact your personal relationships, as well as lead to issues at work.  This trait can make it harder to stick to certain changes you make. For example, you may find it more difficult to stick to a schedule you set for yourself.

Impatience
If you tend to be an impatient person, you may find self-care more challenging. This is because you won’t necessarily see any results overnight. It takes time to adopt new habits and see the benefits of self-care. So, if you’re impatient, you might give up before you’ve experienced the benefits of your hard work.

When you are impatient, it makes you frustrated when you don’t see instant results. So, working on becoming more patient as you start your self-care journey is essential if you want to keep it up.

These are some of the most common blind spots people experience when working on self-care. So start by identifying your own specific blind spots. Then you can work to reduce them so that you can start on the journey of self-care with a more successful outcome.