Self-damage hurts
Neglecting Yourself Leads To Self-Damage
How neglecting yourself has some effect on your health.
I’m not talking about cutting a knife into your skin or damaging yourself with pills or alcohol. Although that’s also damaging yourself, in a physical sense. Maybe that has something to do with health too. Before getting into the action of the knife there are other steps to hurt your well-being — neglecting who you are as a person and feeling that you do not have value as a person.
I’m talking about your heart. What you want in life, how you treat yourself. Your boundaries and respecting yourself as a human being. All by yourself.
A lot of situations and other side stuff has to do with neglecting yourself. Like what you’ve been through in the past, how you’ve been treated by others and this leads to neglecting yourself. How does that happen you say… Well, from my own experience I can say that I have been bullied and abused in the past. People — even other children — told me I was worth nothing. I have been told I couldn’t do anything. Even the teachers told me I was stupid. They looked back when my classmates bullied me. I have been abused too — physically and emotionally. I felt alone.
I am feeling deep inside my body. I am a sensitive person too. That means I believe a lot what people tell me. At least I used to.
In the last few years, I have learned to believe in myself, to stand up for myself. It is not easy, but it feels damn good.
When you feel alone or have been in situations, you feel worthless and because of that, you won’t eat healthy and you’re thinking you can’t do anything. You have negative thoughts about nearly everything. And this leads to neglecting yourself until you realize you can’t live like this forever. There will be one trigger that gives you these negative thoughts.
Neglecting yourself is self-damage! Damage to your well-being, damage to your health, damage to your thoughts, eventually damage by eating unhealthy.
Positive thinking
If these negative thoughts are the first thing you’re thinking about, try to think more positively. It is not easy, but it helps. Positive thoughts can lead to self courage and better self-worth.
When I am in a negative spiral — which is a lot (it is going better now), this will help me to be more positive:
- read positive quotes
- read positive books
- tell yourself you can do it — it doesn’t matter what it is
- take small steps and don’t go for the bigger step if you’re not ready for it
- read positive stories that help you inspire to be more positive
Read positive quotes
By reading positive quotes you’re seeing the positive side of life. You’ll be remembered to positivity. I am going to smile — automatically. Which helps me to be more positive. Do this every day before starting your day. Especially when you head out of bed with negative thoughts. Just do it. It will help you start your day more positively.
Read positive books
I haven’t read that much books and rarely positive books besides love books (which is — to me — also positive). I am not such a reader. But I am planning to read more this month. Especially with candles on the table and cuddling yourself up on the couch with a cup of tea with honey and a blanket over your knees. And read until it is too late at night.
Tell yourself you can do it — it doesn’t matter what it is
Every time you have tasks that challenge you in every aspect, then tell yourself you can do it. This mindset is not easy, but if you repeat it daily, you’ll get used to it. When people hurt you, then you can walk away easier. More confident.
Take small steps and don’t go for the bigger step if you’re not ready for it
This may seem obvious, but most of the time, people are only seeing the main goal and they’re not looking at the small steps within the main goal. Every small step matters.
When you want to be an architect, then you can’t just do it — exceptions now and then. First of all, you have to go to school and learn to do it. Then you apply for a smaller job in that field to start. When the time is right, you’re going to a bigger firm and maybe you start your own company.
When you want to get more positive thoughts and you want to heal forever or at least let it behind you, then you have to start small. I started talking about it with people I don’t know. Subsequently, I talked to my sister and therapist. That helps too. I got some more peace what I felt in my body immediately. Make a plan to be where you want to within a year, that is how far you can look at — at least I can.
Read positive stories that help you inspire to be more positive
What helps is reading positive stories. The subject doesn’t matter at all. If it inspires you to be more positive? READ IT!
You’ll be amazed by the results.
Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in Bunnik, The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram.
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