Selfish or Self-caring

There is quite a difference between being selfish and self-caring. When we are engaged in selfishness we are placing our needs and wants above others. As children there may be situations in which there are a limited number of cookies and one child takes the majority of them without considering those around him. As adults you may find yourself in a situation in which one person constantly placing their own career ahead of their partner. When a person is engaged in selfishness they are unaware or don’t care if they are hurting others. Self-care on the other hand takes into consideration the needs and feelings of others and then making a decision to balance that with thoughts and behaviors that address your value. This typically involves setting boundaries around the desires of others. It might be that it is 11:00 PM and your friends want to continue to party the night before you have to be awake at 6:30AM for work. Self-care would be, “No, I have to wake up early. Have fun and I look forward to hearing about what you did.” It could also involve saying No to a high calorie dessert when you are trying to shed unwanted pounds. What does self-care look like for you?