15 Signs You’re Not Taking Care Of Yourself – It’s The Small Things!

How often do you prioritize self care? “That headache can wait.” “I didn’t need that extra piece of bread anyway.” “I will manage without a haircut.” How often do you even say these to yourself? If the answer is more often that what you’d admit, it depicts the signs you’re not taking care of yourself.

We often find it easier to settle for things rather than constantly complain or find an approach to heal the problem. That is exactly where the problem lies. We are so busy prioritizing others that we forget to do the same with us.

Wondering what happens when you can’t take care of yourself? Scroll down to find out the possible signs first!

Signs you are not taking good care of yourself

If you have been feeling tired and constant pain, it is time for you to realize that it isn’t normal to experience that. Feeling anxious and on the verge of a mental breakdown is not the “new normal”.

Taking your mental and physical health for granted might seem very easy to do but the consequences can end up taking a toll on your health for the worse.

Here, we have sorted out some of the signs you’re not taking care of yourself and being neglectful.

1. You’ve been falling sick easily

All of us fall sick every once in a while and that is okay but if you are finding yourself falling sick every single month, or worse, weeks, it is time to take this as a red flag.

Falling prey to the virus and bacteria around easily is one of the primary signs of a weak immune system.

A weakened immune system could be a result of chronic stress (R), improper nutrition or even the constant signs of affected mental health.

The worst thing about a weakened immune system is that you not just fall sick easily, it also takes you extra long to get better.

Being sick every now and then is a sign that your physical and mental health is not getting the kind of attention that it needs for an overall good well being.

READ: What Happens To The Body When You Live A Sedentary Lifestyle? 13 Possible Complications!

2. Persistent signs of brain fog

If you have been blaming your aging or constant stress for your forgetfulness and the constant blank and spacey feeling, you need to rethink things.

Brain fog is a condition that many of us don’t pay that much attention to, not even realizing that the same could be one of the effects of not taking care of your body.

Apart from the possible signs of hormonal imbalance, memory lapses are also often a very common sign of thyroid dysfunction in women.

Not just that, the labored gut health and affected gut microbiome is also considered a common sign of poor health and brain fog.

Many miss out on chalking the importance of cognitive functions with gut health but even science (R) suggests that they are interconnected.

3. Not getting enough sleep

One of the common signs you are not taking good care of yourself is reflected by the lack of sleep that you get.

We tend to have a habit of blaming our stress and anxiety behind the lack of sleep, not even realizing that the same needs attention.

Irrespective of what the cause behind the lack of sleep be, it is important that you address the cause and find suitable ways to get a proper cure for the same.

Instead, if you brush aside the consequences because “it will tide away” or “it’s not that important”, you are setting yourself up for a problem.

READ: What Happens If You Sleep 6 Hours A Day? Know The Side Effects!

4. You are becoming irritable

While it is common for someone to get frustrated every once in a while, doing it every single chance that you get is an alarming issue.

Being extremely irritable and frustrated on someone even when they haven’t triggered that response is a sign that you are not taking care of an underlying issue.

To be honest, it could be a number of reasons causing you to snap but when you are angry without any reason, it is likely that your mental health is not in its best state.

Apart from that, any kind of unresolved dispute in your life, affecting your mental health could be one of the most common reasons behind the irritability.

It might not seem like a lot in the moment but it is one of the signs that you are not prioritizing your mental health.

READ: 8 Best Home Remedies for Anxiety

5. You are not hydrated

Almost 60% of your body is made of water. So, it isn’t a surprise that hydration plays a very crucial role when it comes to your health and well being.

Not drinking enough water through the day is one of the signs you’re not taking care of yourself.

It might seem like a trivial factor but lack of optimal levels of hydration in the body is a necessity for proper functioning.

Don’t forget that your body needs the hydration to keep functioning. It is not a question but something that you most definitely need to look into.

If needed, keep a reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go.

READ: 16 Unexpected Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water That You Didn’t Know Of

6. Being extremely self critical

“It’s okay, at least you tried”, how often do you say this to someone else and fail to embrace the same for yourself?

Happens quite often, doesn’t it?

To be honest, we are always trying to make other people believe in their capabilities, forgetting to do the same with ourselves.

Being self critical about your capabilities is one of the signs you are not taking good care of yourself. The reason being that you will constantly blame yourself for things that you failed in.

We fail to realize that achieving success every single time is not always practical. Failure or roadblocks are something that helps us learn things better.

But, instead of addressing the same as a learning step, we constantly take that as a weapon to undermine or capabilities.

READ: How To Remind Yourself That You Are Worthy? 17 Effective Tips That Work!

This does have direct impacts on one’s mental wellness in the long run.

7. You are functioning on an autopilot

We don’t even realize often but we are stuck in a vicious cycle of eat, sleep, work and repeat.

Many people call this a routine but we don’t realize how dehumanizing this actually is.

We all have one life to make use of the same to its full extent but when you are constantly rushing to meet deadlines and getting hold of the lead that could bring in a lot of revenue; we forget to prioritize self care.

When each day leaves you so exhausted by the end that you just want to get the basics done and not explore something new, that is where you need to address the problem.

We sometimes forget that our emotional needs are just as important. Prioritizing our mental and emotional well being is a condition majority of us tend to not pay close attention to.

Sometimes, when you are experiencing the consequences of not taking care of yourself, you reflect on the thought of taking some time out to do things differently.

Don’t wait till the wit’s end. Step out of the constant cycle of your everyday life and live your life, experience new things and just recharge yourself every once in a while.

8. Constant signs of fatigue

While everyone will tell you of the ways to overcome fatigue, nobody realizes what is causing the tiredness in the first place.

Constant signs of tiredness and lethargy is an underlying sign of some chronic medical issue that you have been brushing aside as normal.

If you have been brushing aside the symptoms and powering through the week, doing overtime and just overworking your body, it is likely one of the signs you’re not taking care of yourself.

Lack of sleep could also be a reason and we fail to realize that proper sleep and rest is the pivotal stepping stone to self care.

Instead of letting this slide, focus on finding the triggers and then see a doctor to get yourself out this funk.

READ: Adrenal Fatigue Diet – Everything One Needs To Know

9. You don’t feel good ALL THE TIME

Even when you are not down with a fever or the flu, you don’t feel good enough to get out of your bed.

While you might not a valid reason to give your boss for calling our work, it is likely that you negligence of your health is one of the reasons that is causing such a feeling.

Constant headache, chronic pain or even stomachaches are some of the consequences,  this is the most important signs you’re not taking care of yourself.

It is likely that there is nothing wrong with you physically or you haven’t been experiencing something alarming but you have also been brushing aside these signs as something trivial and something that doesn’t deserve your attention.

Your mental health could also be a factor behind you feeling that way. Instead of taking these lightly, talk to a doctor, if you feel the need for it.

These kinds of issues aren’t permanent or incurable. You just need to focus on taking care of yourself to reverse the impacts little by little.

READ: 14 Ways to Cope with Seasonal Depression for Sustained Mental Health

10. You are skipping out on breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, even science (R) says so.

If you have been rushing to get to work and telling yourself that you will eat something later, it is one of the signs that you are neglecting your health.

Unless you are indulging in intermittent fasting, skipping out on your breakfast to tend to something that you prioritize more is something that you will end up later in terms of your well being.

It is a necessity that you not just eat the breakfast but focus on eating a balanced and healthy meal as well.

Lack of proper breakfast later affects your productivity through the day and can even make you overeat the next time you eat, impacting your health further.

READ: 18 Reasons To Eat Breakfast – Start Your Day Healthy

11. You are experiencing memory lapses

Your brain is programmed to do a lot of things, your cognition being one of the most important factors in that.

If you have been experiencing memory lapses and just having a hard time recollecting events that have happened, it is time that you address the issue.

Aside from a possible underlying health condition like inactive thyroid gland, the constant distress can also be a factor to be blamed.

READ: 18 Ways To Help Memory Lapses – Boost Your Memory For The Better

If you are working consistently, not giving your mind and body a break to recharge, chances are that it will affect your thinking abilities, cognition and memory as well.

12. Your diet consists of unhealthy foods

Indulging in unhealthy junk food is everyone’s guilty pleasure but if you are eating them like your life depends on it, it is likely one of the signs you are not taking good care of yourself.

Apart from an active lifestyle, your eating habits matter a lot when it comes to a healthy well being.

If you have been eating just fast food filled with unhealthy fats and grease, it is likely that you are willingly being neglectful of your health.

Being persistent with such a diet will eventually take a toll on your health.

READ: How To Stop Our Love Affair With Junk Food and Aim at Healthier Foods

Instead of eating just junk food, try and include more of fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. Instead of relying on takeout, step out of the house and actually get some grocery shopping done.

13. You have detached from your social life

Adulthood is not an easy phase. It is true that everyone is way too busy to have a very happening social life but that also doesn’t mean that you completely cut out from your friends and family.

If you have been doing that because of the over piling work and deadlines, it is high time that you prioritize your needs and being in touch with your close friends and family is one of them.

The work duty is important and not something that you can brush aside easily but that also doesn’t mean that you will not prioritize the relationships with people that matter to you.

To be honest, in ten years time, your company is not going to be the one that remembers you but your friends and family.

READ: Community Factors Can Influence Your Lifespan, New Study Suggests

14. Gaining or losing weight

If you are losing weight or even gaining weight without any excess efforts, it is likely one of the signs you’re not taking care of yourself.

We are often so stressed with our life that we either skip out on meals or even are so stressed that we overeat and have a sluggish life, contributing to weight loss and weight gain respectively.

If you are not prioritizing your health, especially when it correlated to your weight and metabolism, chances are that the neglect will catch up with you eventually.

Instead of brushing aside these basic needs, just focus on eating healthy, leading an active lifestyle and keeping the bad habits of smoking and drinking in check.

15. You don’t prioritize medical checkups

If you are someone who only sees a doctor when their body is giving up on them when they are sick, you need to prioritize your needs.

It is likely that you don’t even remember the last time that you went for a regular doctor’s checkup.

It might seem very odd to see a doctor when you are not sick but getting timely checkups done every once in a while is important for your overall better well being.

Often, we suffer from underlying health conditions that we don’t even realize until a doctor points the same out.

For the best well being, make sure that you see a doctor at least once in every six months for regular check up.

What happens when you can’t take care of yourself?

The lack of self care eventually catches up and affects your physical and mental health for the worse. If you have been struggling to keep a check on yourself, it is likely that the same will affect your productivity and overall well being.

Addressing the effects of not taking care of your body is the stepping stone towards recovery.

Working on your physical and mental well being is considered the best way to restore your health from there on.

When you can’t take care of yourself or have been neglecting it on purpose, it is likely that the same will cause the symptoms of sluggish behavior, affected mental health and so much more.

Instead of taking things for granted, prioritize your health, prioritize self care. These are some of the common signs you’re not taking care of yourself, the list does run deeper than that. If you want yourself to prosper and flourish, it is important that you don’t brush aside the symptoms that could ring an alarm for your deteriorating physical and mental health. See a doctor, talk to a therapist, take the action need to get yourself back on track.