Why Is It So Hard To Do Things That Are Good For Us?

Surely self care shouldn’t be so hard?

Photo by 91 Magazine on Unsplash

Rather than a self-help article, today’s piece takes a form of a question. Why is it so difficult to do things that are good for you? No, I’m not talking about losing weight or exercising, although they are interesting examples. Instead, I’m talking about basic self care; relatively simple things that can improve our health that we still struggle to do. The examples I’m using here are brushing my teeth thoroughly, including flossing, and using a CPAP machine for my sleep apnoea.

I think you’ll agree that those things are beneficial. Okay, I’m not the first person to have difficulties adjusting to a CPAP machine. However, brushing and flossing my teeth should take no more than 15 minutes, even when done exceptionally thoroughly. So why, for the love of all that’s holy, do I find it so difficult? Self care is not supposed to be so hard.

Possibility 1: Tiredness

Tiredness is a definite possibility as I suffer from sleep apnoea, chronic fatigue syndrome, and depression. As I’ve explained in other articles about depression, when it’s particularly bad, I feel that even the smallest task requires a disproportionately massive amount of effort. Even everyday things like climbing the stairs, making my bed or having a shower. Self care takes a back seat to work, making something to eat and looking after my cats.

On those days, I consider it a win if I even manage to brush my teeth. The problem is that these days are not every day, so this is not a problem or certainly not the whole problem.

Possibility 2: Negative Feelings Towards Myself

A combination of a difficult upbringing, bullying and the toxic beauty standards set by the media has led to me suffering from severe self-worth issues. Sometimes I believe I felt true hatred for myself, for how I looked for my weakness, for my inability to be happy and get control of my weight.