If you don't take care of yourself, you will feel the consequences.
Humans are programmed to care. The desire to protect our loved ones is hidden in our genes. And the innate concern for our dear people has many positive effects – it gives us confidence, closeness, we improve the skills of teamwork, adaptation... But what happens, if concern for others completely prevails and forget ourselves?
Reduced empathy
It's the emotional exhaustion that comes from witnessing other people's pain. It can be caused by just one thing that happened to our loved one, and it can get worse over time. Science has proven that it can just watching someone else's problems causes a lot of stress, which is then literally fed into the observer's brain, so that he himself feels shock, helplessness and hopelessness, even though these events have no real impact on his life.
If we ignore such a powerful influence on our psyche and do nothing to protect ourselves, we will eventually changed our view of the world, we will not be able to control our emotions, our cognitive abilities will weaken and we will have trouble sleeping. It can develop over time also a feeling of abandonment.
Secondary trauma
When we worry too much about other people, we practically become "infected" with their stress, and even worse is the pain that comes from the person, which then we unconsciously take over. Secondary trauma is the psychological consequence of interfering with someone else's problems and difficult experience. Of course, we interfere with the best of intentions, but we don't notice that this eventually leads to a decrease in the capacity for compassion, because foreign experiences can lead to nightmares, excessive excitement, excessive worries...
When we care for our loved ones and their emotional wounds, they are taking care of yourself and your own mental health is so important!
Burnout
Sometimes we care not only about people, but also about things, such as service. And this concern can be greater than concern for one's own health! Over time, there will be stress from excessive worries led to burnout. In such moments, it is difficult for us at work, but also in life in general, we are not satisfied with anything and the feeling that everything is fine begins to fade.
All this can be avoided if we take care of ourselves in time. We must be ready to direct at least some of the energy we direct towards others towards ourselves. Self care it is not a trend, but an important process to protect ourselves and our mental and physical health, as excessive concern for others can have its consequences. Let's pay attention to our needs, let's give ourselves a chance, just as we would give it to others.
Avoiding these consequences does not mean that you should stop caring about other people. All we have to do is yes we put ourselves first and others to the second, third, fourth...
