When You Don’t Value Yourself You Can Burn Out

Oprah once wrote, “Value yourself more.”

And the best way to do so? Take specific action to help yourself feel more valued.

I know it’s easier said than done. But the alternative — not valuing yourself enough — can lead to burnout; something no one wants for themselves.

Let me explain.

When you don’t take time for yourself each day; when you prioritize others’ well-being over your own, you’re not valuing yourself. You often end up not giving your body the attention and care it needs. You feel stressed and overwhelmed. You’re forgetful, and have difficulty focusing on or completing even the simplest tasks.

Plus, with all that stress, you can kiss a good night’s sleep goodbye.

Overwhelm; stress; poor sleep; forgetfulness; lack of focus; neglect of physical self-care: these are all signs of burnout.

And it can creep up on you almost before you realize what’s happening.

How You Can Devalue Yourself Without Even Realizing It

A few years ago, I had a self-care routine that was working great for me. I was healthy, happy, nourished and nurtured physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Then little by little, I let the demands of work erode my self-care until I had stopped scheduling “me” time and began to put work ahead of my own needs. I didn’t value myself enough to be my own priority — even though I knew better.

The slow but steady erosion of caring for myself was all it took for me to go off balance then burn out. Likewise, if you don’t guard your own “me” time, it could easily disappear, putting you on the path to burnout.

When You Question Your Worthiness

As I mentioned above, there are substantial costs of not valuing yourself. If you’re already dealing with or feeling the costs such as overwhelm, sleeping poorly, and not enjoying yourself, you may never actually create all that you desire. Then you end up wondering, why aren’t I getting what I want?

Well, how can you expect to get all that you’re asking for if on some level, you’re questioning your worthiness? When you don’t…