Advice to My Younger Self: Why Self-Care Matters
Self-care often gets dismissed as optional until burnout forces a reckoning. This article brings together guidance from professionals who have learned hard lessons about protecting their wellbeing while building their careers. Their advice centers on three essential practices: managing emotional responses, prioritizing rest, and treating physical health as non-negotiable.
- Honor Rest as Necessity
- Let Health Form Your Foundation
- Pause Before You React
- Schedule Idleness to Spark Ideas
- Schedule Small Habits for Steady Ease
- Choose Solitude to Clarify Direction
- Favor Self-Compassion over Inner Critic
- Protect Priorities with Honest No
- Draw Lines to Stop Exploitation
- Set Boundaries That Teach Respect
- Model Self-Respect to Shape Norms
- Create Guardrails to Avert Overload
- Invest in Upkeep to Spare Costs
Honor Rest as Necessity
As a health coach for women who juggle work and entrepreneurship while feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, I see so many of my clients struggling with the same belief that held me back for years.
If I could go back, the one piece of advice I would give my younger self is this: You don’t have to earn the right to rest – rest is not a reward for productivity, it’s a necessity. For years, I believed I had to deserve rest and relaxation. I thought I could only take a break after I’d checked off every item on my to-do list, hit my goals, or worked myself to exhaustion. The problem was, that moment never came. There was always one more thing to do, one more person to help, one more milestone to reach. So I kept pushing, believing that rest was something I had to earn through hustle and sacrifice.
Looking back, this mindset kept me in a constant state of stress and depletion. I was always operating on fumes, never allowing myself to truly recharge. I didn’t realize that rest isn’t lazy or indulgent – it’s essential for my body and mind to function well.
If I had understood earlier that taking care of my physical and mental health was non-negotiable, not optional, I would have had so much more energy and clarity. I would have been more creative in my work, more present with loved ones, and honestly, more joyful. I would have made better decisions because I wasn’t constantly in survival mode.
Now, juggling a full-time job with my business, I’ve learned that rest and self-care aren’t things I need to earn – they’re what allow me to show up powerfully for my clients and sustain the life I’ve built. My younger self needed to hear: you are worthy of care simply because you exist, not because of what you produce.
Let Health Form Your Foundation
I’d tell my younger self that self-care is the base that makes everything else work. The importance of exercise is more than just looking good; drinking enough water is much more about not being thirsty; and having good sleep isn’t just not feeling tired the next day. All these habits, as simple as they sound, give you a better life quality day by day and avoid health issues. I’d also tell him to normalize something we don’t say enough: not being at 100% is okay, and not being sure is okay. You don’t have to have life perfectly figured out at 22, and what really matters is that you keep moving, keep learning, and keep trying to find what you actually like and where you want to be.
Taking care of my body and mind earlier would have helped me think more clearly, make better decisions, and not burn out trying to prove myself all the time. And I’d add one more thing: take your time to see the world before putting down roots in one place. Knowing new places and different ways of living gives you perspective. It makes you calmer about the future, and it helps you choose your path with more intention, not just pressure.
Pause Before You React
I would tell my younger self that not every intense feeling needs an intense reaction, and that pausing before you respond is a form of self-care. Learning to pause has made my relationships easier, my decisions clearer, and stressful moments far less overwhelming. Paired with consistent physical care, it would have supported steadier energy and focus.
Schedule Idleness to Spark Ideas
Nonstop effort flattens imagination and joy. Short, regular pauses keep creativity steady and strong. Schedule a quiet, screen-free break today.
Schedule Small Habits for Steady Ease
A simple routine removes guesswork and keeps life steady. Put self-care on the calendar so it does not get pushed aside. Schedule one small act of care today.
Choose Solitude to Clarify Direction
It also sparks ideas that need space to grow. Try a short walk, a journal page, or a device-free break in a calm spot. Block ten quiet minutes on the calendar today.
Favor Self-Compassion over Inner Critic
It turns setbacks into steps by asking what would help next. A simple phrase like, “This is hard, and support is allowed,” can shift the mood. Replace one harsh thought with a kinder one today.
Protect Priorities with Honest No
People respect honest limits more than late excuses. Use short, kind words that fit the request, and repeat them if needed. Practice one respectful no today.
Draw Lines to Stop Exploitation
Care acts like a shield that shows what is not allowed. Guarded time and energy attract fair deals and kinder ties. Review one demand on you and renegotiate a fair term today.
Set Boundaries That Teach Respect
They are not walls; they are doors with clear rules. Start with small steps like setting work hours or saying no to rude talk. Choose one boundary to state kindly today.
Model Self-Respect to Shape Norms
Self-respect is calm clarity, not drama or pride. It sets the tone for work, love, and friendship. State one clear limit the next time someone asks for your time.
Create Guardrails to Avert Overload
They also prevent resentment toward yourself and others. With space saved, there is room for rest and the work that matters. Say no to one extra task today.
Invest in Upkeep to Spare Costs
Small upkeep done early keeps problems small. Over time, steady care builds strength that crisis cannot break. Choose one simple habit to maintain every day, starting now.
