5 Subtle Ways To Hurt Yourself
There are subtle ways to harm yourself and the danger lies precisely in that subtlety. Since these are not actions that are out of the ordinary, it is extremely likely that they will go unnoticed in your consciousness. The problem is, even if you don’t notice them, they continue to operate and rob you of your well-being.
Self-destructive behaviors are evident. Even if you don’t resolve them immediately, you still know they’re there. With the subtle ways of harming yourself, on the other hand, it is not possible to look for solutions because one fails to detect the problem.
These subtle ways of harming yourself are linked to behaviors that may seem positive or “normal,” when they are not. This is where the risk lies, as you may even see them as virtues. To make sure that doesn’t happen, let’s study some sneaky behaviors that are harmful to you right now.
1. Guilt, one of the subtle ways to hurt yourself
Guilt is one of the subtle ways of harming yourself, because it eats away at you from within and sets up a logic of harsh judgments and accusations against you, without foundation. Worst of all is that many people have been educated to feel continually guilty, because this is seen as proof of good moral conscience.
This is not the case. All human beings are far from perfect, and perfection is not as desirable as one might think, for it implies absolute stillness. Guilting is a form of self-flagellation that, instead of promoting your growth, causes you to experience feelings of helplessness and self-deception. It is better to take responsibility than to end up plagued by guilt.
2. Make decisions that go against you
It may sound absurd, but it is something that happens more frequently than you might think. For example, when you decide that it’s better to put up with a job you don’t like rather than looking for a new one. Or when you choose to be silent in the face of injustices or slights against you, which should not be ignored in this way.
All these big and small decisions, far from reasserting you, self-cancel you. That’s why they don’t fit and turn into subtle ways to hurt you.
3. Avoiding what makes you feel good, another of the subtle ways of harming yourself
We come back to the guilt and the decisions that go against you. Sometimes you know that something is doing you good, but you don’t go towards it because something deep inside is telling you that you can wait or that it is better to keep doing things that involve sacrifice. or suffering. Either way, you don’t think you deserve this wellness.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of accepting that a moment of rest can do you good or that it doesn’t matter if you stop working for a while to devote some free time to yourself. If you identify that something is doing you good, moving in that direction, doing it, or enjoying it is almost a moral obligation.
4. Not knowing how to say “no”
This is another of the subtle ways of hurting yourself that quite often is mistaken for qualities like affability, gentleness or empathy. Beyond a possible shyness, what is hidden behind this inability to say “no” is nothing other than a difficulty in reaffirming what is ours. In other words, you think that your desires are not worth considering.
Docility or flexibility makes sense when it brings you something meaningful or develops collective growth. If these attitudes are born out of personal worthlessness, they are harmful to you as well as to those who benefit from them. Saying ‘no’ means setting boundaries, and boundaries help build healthy relationships.
5. Putting off your well-being
If you are one of those people who never have time for a medical check-up or who thinks that taking a vacation is not that important, or who does not give themselves time for them, know that you hurt yourself. Putting yourself last isn’t helping you or helping those around you.
Your mind, body, and emotions should always be considered and in need of care. No excuse is good enough for not spending time and improving yourself in all of these areas.
In conclusion, subtle ways of harming yourself usually have disastrous long-term effects. With these attitudes, you build a state of unease which, sooner or later, will become evident. We human beings are not born to mistreat ourselves, but to grow up and seek well-being.
Our thoughts We invite you to think about these few words, which can be of great help to you and which will give you the necessary strength to learn …
